


The Gamble

by MamaBear226



Series: Against All Odds [4]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, He also watches too many rom-com's, Lucifer makes a new pint-sized BFF, Porn With Plot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Viva Las Vegas!, skip ahead for the smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-12-30 18:41:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18321023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MamaBear226/pseuds/MamaBear226
Summary: All bets are on the table as Lucifer and OFC Lynne navigate their new relationship. Will their gamble pay off?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> We've got more fluff and smut than angst this time around, which is hopefully a nice little palate cleanser from the intense drama of the last couple of works. For those of you just here for the naughty bits, skip ahead to the end chapter 5 and latter part of 6 where the smut begins to ramp up before going back to pure fluff :) 
> 
> As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome!

Three months had passed since that night on the precipice, and Lucifer and Lynne had both kept up their end of the deal. The first couple of weeks were easy as they reveled in the intoxicating high of a new relationship, sneaking texts throughout the day, falling asleep on the phone when they couldn't see each other, and the occasional night of unbridled passion in his penthouse thanks to Val. They were happy in that shiny bubble of theirs, relishing in their newfound connection, eager to explore this foreign territory together.

Lynne allowed herself the freedom to enjoy every second without abandon or concern during that phase, but she knew it was only a matter of time before that nagging feeling in the back of her mind flared up, so she doubled down on her efforts with Linda and got to work on undoing her mindfuck as quickly as possible. She found this challenge infinitely more difficult than facing her grief, and felt herself reeling and spinning more often than she ever had in her life as she slowly peeled back the layers. Linda was patient with her and let her work at her own pace, never pushing her too far, allowing her to spend a session here or there focusing on different topics, and even instituted the Kesha rule a few times to help distract her when she was completely out of control. Together they removed the rest of her inner fortress brick by brick.

When they reached the foundation, Lynne felt as though she was nothing more than a raw nerve walking around the world completely unprotected. She tried to muddle through as best as she could, going through the motions at work and home, but she felt herself unraveling at an alarming rate. She made a desperate call to Miranda and used every last bit of her strength not to fall apart as she lied about a last-minute business trip and arranged a visit to camp Grandma so Emily didn't have to see her like this. She shot an email to her boss about a family emergency and managed to hold it together long enough to drive Emily three hours north to drop her off. She rang the bell, gave them each a hug, and made some comment about being late for her flight as she turned and ran back to her car to begin the trip home as the last few grains of sand fell from her hourglass.

She tried calling Lucifer to explain what was happening as soon as she hit the freeway, but she began to fall apart at the mere sound of his voice and could barely get any comprehensible words out. He stayed on the phone with her as she pulled over onto the shoulder and completely broke down. He appeared next to her car within minutes and she got out to hug him, collapsing into his arms as she wept. She then tried to send him away, tried to fight him, tried everything in her power to make him leave, but he was strong enough for the both of them as he laid her down in the back seat and drove her home in silence as she cried and slept and cried some more.

She desperately wanted to invite him inside, but she knew it would only make things worse. She thanked him with a kiss and a promise and spent the next three days holed up in her fortress of solitude to heal. Things got infinitely better after that, and they grew closer and closer over the next couple of months as Lynne slowly began to build up a healthier fortress around her heart, to which he held the key.

* * *

 Lynne walked into Linda's office with a lightness in her step and spun her around and around as she gave her a hug. Linda laughed as she settled back into her chair to stop the dizziness. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Lynne? Did you win the lottery or something?"

Lynne smiled as she walked behind the desk to make them tea. "You could say that…" She poured the water into their mugs and dropped in the teabags. "I was driving over here, trying to figure out what to talk to you about since we basically spent the last couple sessions swapping embarrassing stories or Netflix recommendations and it hit me." She walked back over to look Linda in the eyes. "I can genuinely say, without any hesitation or reservations, that I have nothing to talk about! Well, not nothing, we do need to get cracking on that best-selling book of ours, but I'm doing great. Like really, truly, have-been-for-a-few-weeks-now great!"

Linda smiled as Lynne handed her a cup of tea. "I'm so glad to hear that, Lynne! It does feel as though the storm has passed, doesn't it?"

Lynne sat down. "I mean, I don't want to jinx anything, but I do kind of feel like a brand-new version of myself, Lynne 2.0." She took a sip of tea and sighed, her smile falling from her face. "Give it to me straight, Linda. Is this just some false sense of happiness that people get between breakdowns, perhaps the eye of the storm but not the end?"

Linda sighed. "In my professional opinion, everybody's different. That certainly does happen to some people who haven't truly worked out everything and/or something huge comes along that knocks them right back into the thick of it. But others do get a feeling of weightlessness, almost, now that they're not carrying around those heavy burdens anymore. I can't say for sure which one you're experiencing, only time will tell." 

She leaned forward and looked from side to side as if checking for onlookers as she lowered her voice. "In my personal opinion, unless there's something you're not telling me, I think the storm may have passed. You've done a lot of hard work these past 5 months and faced some scary demons that have been tormenting you for decades. That's more than most can handle in such a short timeframe, but you were committed to it, did the work, hit some pretty intense low points and learned to leverage your support system. Best of all, you didn't run away from any of it!"

They high-five'ed each other. "The issues you've worked through are very complex, Lynne. I don't want to be negative, but I must warn you that they're never truly gone or forgotten. Another storm may come, or even just a light shower, but I feel as though you now have the tools you need to manage through them, and people in your life that will hold you accountable and not allow you to break again. I'd be okay with cutting down to monthly or possibly even quarterly sessions with extras as needed in between. And maybe a girls' night here and there..."

Lynne smiled. "Duh, of course! The squad's been DYING to meet you and Maze and bring you two into the fold." She took another sip of tea. "It sucks that there's no actual cure, but I think you're right. I'll never really be fully okay or truly confident that I can handle anything life throws at me, but I'm at peace with that and I feel like I'm more ready to face the world on my own a bit more than I ever have been.” She sighed happily. “There is one other thing we haven't talked about yet that I could use your advice on. Mind putting your friend hat on for this?" She cackled as Linda mimed a hat change. "So, I've been thinking about finally introducing Lucifer to Emily for a while now. I think it's pretty safe to say I won't be hitting the self-destruct button, and if I do, well, y'all will be there to call me on my bullshit. I know it's still pretty early on in our relationship, but I'm ready to cross that milestone. Cautiously, of course. I'm not gonna be like 'Oh hey, meet your new stepdad, PS he's the devil!', neither of us is ready for that, but I'm ready for him to at least meet her and, like, actually go inside my house for the first time instead of dropping me off a block away."

Linda squealed. "Oh, I'm so glad my friendship hat is on right now. THAT IS SO AWESOME!" She got up and hugged her, then mimed another hat change. "Professionally speaking, that's the last big breakthrough I was hoping you'd make, but didn't dare so much as mention it because that needed to come from you without ANY guidance, no matter how gentle. So, have you told him yet?"

"No, not yet. I haven't even started to pull together an action plan. I know he said he was open to it and even offered to let her be the top hat in monopoly, which was odd…" Linda held back her knowing smile. "If you recall, I specifically told him to back the fuck off about meeting her, which in hindsight wasn't the nicest way to handle that conversation... Anywho, I'm not sure how to approach it with him, or when would be the right time. I don't want to like randomly bring it up and scare him off. He knows that meeting Emily is basically the biggest commitment I could make to him, bigger than marriage or blood oaths or any deal with the devil."

Linda laughed, and took her hands in hers giving them a gentle squeeze. "Don't you think you _might_ be making a bigger deal out of this than it is? I'm not a parent, so I don't really know where you're coming from, but it sounds like she might be one last excuse to not fully 'go there' with him. A trip to the zoo or even dinner and board games here and there don't really seem to be on the same level as marriage or blood oaths, Lynne."

Lynne rolled her eyes. "He said pretty much the same thing to me about her being an excuse and it took every ounce of self-control I had to not punch him in the face. Different circumstances, but still pretty offensive, Linda." She squeezed Linda’s hands back reassuringly. "But I love you for your willingness to call me on my bullshit. It's true that she is the perfect excuse, but I'm beyond excuses now, thankfully. However, I still can't help my mama bear instincts. I know her, I know him, and they are going to hit it off immediately. That girl is all heart, anyone she even remotely likes is immediately her best friend." She shook her head. "And let's be real, she's kind of lacking in father figures and is going to latch onto him REAL quick. Do you remember what happened with those other two bozos I introduced her to? It broke her precious little heart when we broke up!"

Linda nodded as Lynne took another sip of her tea. "I don't fear an inevitable breakup, surprisingly enough. I mean yeah, the whole divine/mortal being combo is a long-term concern, but we've got at least a decade before anyone notices he doesn't age and can cross that bridge when we get to it. But Lucifer is _infinitely_ more amazing than any guy she's ever met, and I'm just afraid that despite our best efforts he's gonna be forced into some sort of fatherly role and intense attachment WAY sooner than either of us is ready for. So I have to figure out how to ease both of them into it and try to mitigate that risk."

Linda leaned back in her chair and sipped her tea. "I can see the concern there. He's basically a 6-foot tall kid himself most of the time, they're totally gonna hit it off immediately." Lynne laughed as she nodded knowingly. "But I wouldn't worry too much about that scaring him off, I'm pretty sure he's in it to win it, Lynne. Talk to him, he may surprise you."

"I know, I know. It's what Henry and Gertie would do... But how do I share that concern without completely offending him? Even if I can, he's already changed _so much_ of himself and his lifestyle to accommodate mine, and this will tip the scales even more onto my side than they have been these last few months, which is already way too much. It's not fair for him to have to make such drastic sacrifices just to be with me."

It was Linda's turn to roll her eyes. "He loves you, you bozo. Of course he's willing to make some changes for you, and is more than happy to do so."

Lynne sighed in frustration. "That's exactly my point, though, it's not fair to him! He's spent _literally_ all the time in the world being forced into one role or another that wasn't truly _him_. I don't want to do that to him, even if it is just for a blink of an eye compared to his immortal lifetime, and I can't really offer anything in return for him settling into my boring, ho-hum, mortal little life."

Linda got up and sat down beside her, taking her hands in hers and giving them a gentle squeeze. "Lynne. You have _yourself_ to offer. And love and acceptance and maybe even a family down the line. All things that he hasn't really had before, at least not all in one place. Have you ever considered that his current lifestyle is just a way to pass the time as he figures out what he actually wants in life? That maybe, just maybe, he might be perfectly happy and content with what you have to offer him?"

Lynne sighed again. "No, I hadn’t considered that…" She shook her head. "But I would be VERY surprised if that's what he truly desires.”

Linda shrugged. "I honestly don't know what he wants, and I doubt he does either. He's not a 'big picture' guy… All you can do is talk to him about it, Lynne. And it doesn't have to be this big thing, just mention Emily to him in passing and see where he takes it. He may surprise you, and even himself.”

"You're right. I should just go with the flow for once... But I still need an integration plan. My mom's flying in tomorrow and staying for a week or two, maybe I'll talk to her about it and see what she thinks.” Lynne finished her tea.

Linda's eyes lit up with excitement. "Momma Gardner's coming to town? That's awesome! What's the special occasion?"

"Oh, nothing much, my birthday's coming up soon and we like to spend it together. It sucks living on opposite coasts so that's always her present to me and it's the best one!"

"Seriously Lynne? You were gonna NOT tell me about your birthday? What, did you lie about that too?” Linda pinched her arm.

"Ow! God you're such a perfect fit for the squad, Linda," she said as she rubbed her am. "As a matter of fact, yes, I did. And shame on you for not checking my ID or insurance card." She braced herself for another pinch that never came. "For real, though, I'm not a big birthday person, I prefer to keep it super low-key. And not in an 'oh I hate birthdays, but you better make a big deal or I'll be mad' kinda way, I genuinely dislike it and it's MY special day, so I get to do whatever I want. Which is usually curling up with my mom, Emily, some wine and a movie marathon. Gardner girl movie night to the ultimate max!"

"That does sound like a pleasant birthday... For an eighty-year-old! I promise I won't do anything big this year, but it IS going in my calendar the second you leave.” Lynne’s giggles interrupted her attempted eye roll at Linda’s jab. “Let's chat after your mom leaves town, you can run your game plan by me if you'd like."

"That sounds great! Thanks again for everything, Linda, you're the best!" Lynne hugged her on her way out.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Lynne and Emily picked her mom up at the airport the next day and paid no mind to the scene they made at baggage claim as they screamed and hugged and cried as if they didn't talk on the phone or Skype at least once a week. They piled into the car and her mom tapped the roof. "Open that sunroof, would ya Lynne? I want those rays of California sun shining down on me! My flight barely made it out of Logan with that blizzard we just had."

Lynne happily obliged. "There's so much I miss about being home, but that's not one of them! Or that disgusting humidity in the summer." She gagged. "But fall, oh how I miss fall! And having actual seasons!" They laughed as she pulled out of the airport. "Do you mind if we stop at the store on the way home? I didn't get a chance to go grocery shopping yesterday, and once we get home it'll be impossible to pull myself away from you again."

Her mom smiled. "Of course! Besides, I promised Emily here I would spoil her just like I do when you guys are back east, so I need to pick some things up myself."

Emily cheered from the back seat and Lynne gently swatted her mother's arm. "Come on, Mom, not on home turf."

Her mom laughed as she swatted her back. "You may live here but anywhere I am is home turf, Lynne Marie, so you might as well save your energy and just let me do what I want. Speaking of, can we stop at one of the fancy ones downtown? I want to accidentally run into a celebrity trying to be 'one of us'."

Lynne laughed as she rolled her eyes. "That doesn't actually happen in real life, but sure. Anything my darling mother desires, she gets."

* * *

They arrived at the over-priced grocery store and agreed to divide and conquer the list. Emily ran off with her Nana towards the cereal aisle and Lynne headed to the produce section. She found the ingredients she needed and was making her way towards the pasta when she heard Emily and her mother giggling in the next aisle over. She quickly grabbed a box of noodles and went over to see what was so funny.

Lynne stopped in her tracks at the top of the aisle, her heart jumping into her throat as she saw Lucifer reaching to try and grab the last box of Lucky Charms all the way in the back of the top shelf. Emily and her mother were trying not to laugh as he struggled and grunted quietly as he went up on his tiptoes, shook his head, jumped up, but still couldn't quite reach the box. He finally gave up, grabbed a box of Cheerios, and knelt down in front of Emily so he was at eye level with her. "I'm afraid it just wasn't meant to be, love. Here, take these, they're far better for you anyway." He passed the box to Emily as he stood up and brushed off his trousers.

Emily frowned. "Thanks for trying, mister, but I already have these at home and Nana said it was her job to spoil me, which includes cereal my mom won't buy me..." She batted her eyelashes at him. "Maybe if you lift me up I can reach it? Teamwork makes the dream work!"  

Lucifer looked to Lynne's mother for approval, and she nodded. Lucifer lifted Emily up by the waist, and together they finally grabbed the box of Lucky Charms. He spun her around a couple times before putting her down, and Emily giggled as she gave him one of her famous high fives. He laughed as he shook his hand out. "My, my, you've got quite the powerful high-five for such a small human!"

Emily giggled as she put her prize in the carriage. Her Nana thanked him and turned to see Lynne standing there dumbfounded and waved embarrassingly. "Oh hi, honey! This _lovely_ gentleman was just helping us get the last box of Lucky Charms. What an angel, huh?"

 _Holy shit…_ Lynne plastered on a fake smile and started walking towards them as Lucifer turned to her. He smiled and shrugged innocently when he saw her eyes grow as wide as they possibly could in disbelief. He raised an eyebrow, as if asking her how to proceed, and she gently shook her head. Emily ran up to hug her and almost knocked her over. "Mommy! Mommy! That man was soooooo nice and he helped us get the VERY LAST BOX and he even made me FLY! He's the BEST! Can he be our friend? PLEEEEEEEASE?"

Lucifer and her mom looked awkwardly at her as Lynne struggled to come up with a good cover, but nothing came to mind and she knew Emily and her Mom would see right through her terrible poker face if she lied. _Fuck it, I guess this was bound to happen eventually, might as well roll with it…_ "That's awesome, boo bear! Want to know something even _more_ awesome?” Emily nodded excitedly. “I'm actually already friends with him!"

All three of them snapped their heads towards her in shock. Both Lucifer and her mother's eyebrows were raised as high as they could go, and Lynne just shrugged. Thankfully, Emily broke the awkward silence. "THAT IS AWESOME! Can he come over for dinner? I want him to make me fly again AAAAAAAND he totally deserves some of your yummy lasagna for helping us."

Lucifer looked to her expectantly, and Lynne gave the slightest shake of her head. He knelt down in front of Emily again. "Kindness is its own reward, love." He winked at Lynne. "Besides, I don't want to risk ruining your fun of getting spoiled rotten by your Nana if she tries to be on her best behavior in front of a stranger… How about I make you fly all the way down the aisle before you finish shopping instead?"

Emily nodded and jumped into his arms, almost knocking him over. He lifted her up above his shoulders and she spread her arms out like wings as they ran down the aisle, giggling incessantly. "Again! Again!" Emily cried when they reached the end, and Lucifer found himself shockingly happy to oblige.

Lynne's mother pulled her out of the way as they whizzed by and pinched her arm. "Lynne Marie Gardner, is that the man you've been keeping under lock and key? How DARE you not invite him to dinner! That man is utterly DIVINE, and look at how great he is with Emily! I have a good feeling about him…"

Lynne rolled her eyes. "Put the wedding invitations away, Mom. He IS amazing, but it's wicked complicated. I'll tell you all about it after Emily's in bed."

Lucifer ran back to them and put Emily down, both panting from their laps up and down the aisle. He patted her on the head. "Ok, little love, that's enough flying for now. Don't want your groceries going bad, now, do we?"

Emily frowned. "I guess not… Thank you so much!" She jumped up into his arms to hug him once more, then pulled her head back and looked into his eyes. "You know, Luci, you make my heart smile..."

His eyes sparkled as he set her back down. "Why thank you, Miss Emily, you're not so bad yourself." He readjusted his collar and turned to Lynne's mother, taking her hand in his and laying a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. "It was a pleasure to meet you, darling. Enjoy your time with those lovely girls of yours!" He looked at Lynne, who couldn't help but smile brightly at him. "I'll see you soon, I hope, Lynne."

She began to respond, but her mother pushed herself in between them. "How's 5:30? We'd love to have you join us for dinner." She shot Lynne her patented MomLook, shutting her up from whatever objection she was about to make.

Lynne rolled her eyes as Lucifer smiled brightly at her mom. "5:30 would be perfect. Lasagna, is it? I'll bring the wine." He looked at Lynne who couldn't help but smile as she shook her head.

"See you then, I guess… Ok, Gardner girls, off to the dairy section!" Lynne exclaimed and pushed their carriage away quickly.

* * *

 Lynne shut the oven door and looked at the clock. _5:28_. Her nerves began to go wild. _Fuck. This is really happening, isn't it? Maybe he'll be late or even better, not show up at all…_ She reset the timer and grabbed some plates from the cabinet. The doorbell suddenly rang and her both her heart and body jumped as she set the plates down and went to answer it.

Lucifer stood there with a case of wine and a dashing smile. He leaned in to kiss her and Lynne rolled her eyes, dodging his kiss and opening the door wider for him to step through. "So that's how it's going to be the first time I see your home? I shall try not to be too offended..." he said as he shook his head.

Lynne pulled him by his arm into the kitchen. She kissed him quickly before grabbing a bottle from the box. "Thanks for bringing all this ammunition, babe, I'm gonna need it." Lucifer scoffed as he set the box down and fumbled in her drawers for a corkscrew. Lynne pointed to the one sitting on the counter, and went to grab a few glasses, which clinked together in her hands as they shook. "Sorry, Lucifer, it's nothing against you, I just wasn't mentally prepared for any of these milestones so soon, and especially not all at once."

Lucifer wrapped his arms around her waist as he set the bottle down and kissed her cheek. "I know, love, but if I recall correctly, you prefer to 'rip the bandage off,' so perhaps it's good it worked out this way..."

Lynne turned and kissed him again before unwrapping his arms from around her waist and ducking under them to grab the wine and filled their glasses. She took a few big sips as her nerves began to settle. "This is true… But we need some ground rules. No PDA. No lovey-dovey eyes across the table. No racy stories, and try to keep the devil thing to a minimum if you can. No insinuating that we're anything more than just friends, ESPECIALLY around Emily. Got it?"

Lucifer frowned. "Well that certainly takes all the fun away. What's left for me to do?"

Lynne gestured towards the other glasses as she grabbed the plates. "You can start by bringing those to the table." She leaned up to kiss him again. "I'm sorry, Lucifer, I want you to be able to be yourself and be comfortable here, but the two of them are already giving me so much shit about you already- they're practically obsessed! It's almost impossible to keep my mom at bay, and I haven't had the chance to really explain the whole situation to her, nor have I even begun to think about how to approach it with Emily. I mean, I know how I feel about you and I know you're worth taking the risk with her, but I haven't gotten around to figuring out how and I hate going into it without a game plan. So please, just bear with me while I try and sort it out, okay?"

Lucifer took the plates out of her hands, set them down on the counter, and kissed her forehead as he pulled her into his embrace. "Lynne, I had no idea you were considering that already, I… Just… wow. That really means a lot to hear that I'm worth taking your biggest risk for."

Lynne tilted her head up and kissed him. "You are. You always have been. And I've finally been feeling like I'm ready as well lately, but haven't found the right way to bring it up." She sighed as she shook her head. "Looks like your 'dear old Dad' brought it upon himself to force the issue..."

Lucifer frowned as he pulled away from her. "Now don't go bringing _him_ into this, we were having such a lovely moment... I was simply trying to replenish the coffee you adore so much you finished it yesterday and forgot to tell me, and innocently helped a couple of vertically-challenged strangers. It's not an uncommon occurrence, being a rather tall person. So what if you just happened to be at a store you've never been to on the opposite side of town from where you live? Purely a coincidence."

Lynne chuckled as she picked up the plates again. "Whatever you say, Luc. Now please come help me set the table before they get back from the park, they'll be here any minute."

* * *

 Lynne was laughing as Lucifer put the last of the napkin swans on the plates with a flourish. "You're so utterly EXTRA sometimes, Lucifer, I love-" she was interrupted by the sound of Emily's running feet and turned around. Emily was covered in dirt and flying straight towards Lucifer. Lynne took one look at his outfit and panicked momentarily before stepping in front of her and blocking the attack, scooping her up just in time.

"What have you been up to you little mud-ball?" she asked as she held her out at arm's length and set her back down. "You were supposed to be home a while ago and dinner's almost ready. Please go wash up and change your clothes. And try not to leave a trail of dirt behind you, I just vacuumed this morning."

Emily pouted. "Nana let me start digging a hole to China. I was almost there but she MADE me stop." She shot a nasty looked towards the doorway.

Lynne's mother laughed as she walked into the house. "Oh hush, Emily, we can finish tomorrow. Now do as your mother says."

Emily crossed her arms. "Not until Luci makes me fly again, or at least gives me a hug."

Lynne rolled her eyes at Emily's obstinance and began to respond, but Lucifer swooped in and knelt down in front of Emily. "My apologies, darling, but I'm not quite ready to fly again just yet, I need that lasagna to refill my energy. How about another high-five instead?" Emily smiled and wound her arm before blasting him with one. He laughed and dramatically fell over as he rubbed his hand. "Phew! Peter wasn't kidding about those _flaming_ high-fives! Tell me, are there steroids in those Lucky Charms of yours?"

Emily giggled and began jumping up and down. "YOU KNOW PETER?! I'm gonna marry him when I grow up, you know, he already said yes." Her eyes lit up. "Ooh! Maybe you can marry my mom at the same time! That would be so much fun, we can fly down the aisle together!"

Lynne tried to shake the horrified look from her face and pulled Emily away from him. "That's enough out of you, Emily Anne. Go wash up. NOW."

"Ugh, FINE! You can marry Luci sooner, I guess." She turned and stomped her way towards the bathroom.

Lynne's mom burst into laughter as she helped Lucifer up from the ground, who chuckled along with her as he adjusted his cuff links. She gathered her breath and peered back and forth between them as she folded her arms. "Is there something you two want to share with me?"

Lynne was absolutely mortified at this point and all she could do was shake her head. "No, Mom, I swear that's nowhere NEAR the table right now, we haven't even… Ugh. Em's just insane. I have no idea where she's getting that from, she hadn't even MET him until earlier today, I swear."

She looked desperately to Lucifer for help and he cleared the last of his chuckles out of his throat. "She's right, I truly had no idea who she was when I helped you. I've managed to pry some stories about that lovely little lady from your daughter, but she hadn't so much as shown a picture of her to me." He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "She's _far_ too overprotective, if you ask me, but I'm not a parent so I can't begin to understand her reasoning. All I can do is simply respect her wishes and try not to be too offended."

Lynne's mother practically fainted at his words, and turned to Lynne, smiling brightly. "Where did you find this guy? It's like I dreamed him up for you or something!" Her smile soon turned to a glare. “Wait, he knows _Peter_ but hasn't met Emily yet? How long have you been seeing him exactly? Why are you holding back?"

Lucifer raised a knowing eyebrow at Lynne from behind her mother's head and she simultaneously wanted to punch and kiss him. Lynne sighed. "I dunno, like 5 months maybe?"

Her mother's jaw dropped in shock, and Lynne rolled her eyes. "It's complicated, Mom, you know all about my, umm… baggage. Can we _please_ not do this right now? Especially in front of him? It's awkward enough already thanks to Emily's little marriage proposal."

Lynne's mother hugged her. "Of course, I'm sorry, sweetie, I just saw the way you two look at each other and how Emily's taken to him already- I mean that comment earlier about him making her heart smile? Whew! It was all just too much for my motherly heart to bear and I went a little overboard. But we have a LOT to talk about tonight, missy," she said sternly.

Lynne looked at Lucifer, expecting to see a look of horror on his face, but he just smiled and winked at her as he walked towards the kitchen. "Don't mind me, I'll just be fetching the salad…"

Lynne sighed again. "I know. And I promise you I really was planning to open up about it all over a glass of wine tonight. I really wanted some of that awesome advice of yours, and now I need it more than ever! Can you just please try and make it through dinner without bringing up  your motherly heart and maybe help provide some air cover for us? It's bad enough Emily already proposed to him for me, I can't just go all in right away, at least until I've had a chance to talk to you. And especially him."

Lynne's mom hugged her again. "Anything you need, sweetie." She took a step back and placed her hands on Lynne's shoulders. "But just know that you have a man in your kitchen who, despite everything that just happened, and everything that may have already happened between you, is still here and doesn't seem phased by _any_ of it. And my gut is SCREAMING at me about him, Lynne, in a good way, so just try and check your baggage at the door. He cares about you and he's really trying, so be gentle on him and don't try to micromanage our dinner. Deal?"

"Deal. Now can you please go make sure Emily hasn't flooded the bathroom or something while I finish grabbing the food? She's been gone too long and is freakishly quiet…"


	3. Chapter 3

Lucifer, Lynne, and her mother sat at the table, finishing their wine as Emily was getting ready for bed. Lucifer stood up and began to clear the plates. "It's getting late, and I should be heading home soon. I'll just take care of these and be on my way."

Lynne gently placed her hand on his to stop him and smiled. "That's so sweet of you, but don't worry about the dishes, I'll take care of them later. But could you maybe stay until Emily comes back out? I'll never hear the end of it if I let you leave without one last fly through the air..."

He smiled and squeezed her hand. "It would be my pleasure."

Lynne's mother batted her eyelashes dramatically. "Aren't you two little lovebirds just so sweet?"

"Mom…" Lynne said warningly.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself!" She pointed accusingly at Lucifer. "It's _his_ fault, he's the one that brought the wine." Lucifer nodded and shrugged. "So tell me, 'Luci', what's your full name? I can't believe I haven't asked that yet!"

Lucifer sat back down and smiled. "Lucifer Morningstar, and I must apologize for not asking yours either. Shall I just call you 'Mum'?" He winked at Lynne as she rolled her eyes again.

"My name is Elaine, but you can call me whatever you'd like, Lucif-" She burst into laughter. "I'm sorry, honey, I just can't say it with a straight face. Is that a stage name or are your parents really that cruel?"

Lucifer smiled. "God-given, I'm afraid. But do go on. I've heard it all before, so any jokes or laughter ready to burst within you won't offend me, I assure you."

Lynne soon joined Elaine's fit of laughter, and Emily came running in to see what was so funny. They told her, and she crossed her arms as her brow furrowed. "So what if he's the devil? He's here now and is super nice and awesome. And, _DUH_ , he was born an ANGEL, you guys, that's how he made me fly! We're best friends now, so stop laughing at my Luci!" She put her arm around him protectively.

 _Holy fucking fuck_ , Lynne thought to herself as she tried her best to keep a straight face as a wave of shock ran through her system. _He didn't…_

“Thanks, pal,” Lucifer said as he patted Emily's hand and brought her closer for a hug. "Although I don't know where you got that little story from," he said, glancing uneasily at Lynne over Emily’s head. Lynne bit her lip as she shrugged, raised her eyebrows, and gently shook her head at the same time.

Emily giggled and turned back to Lucifer. "Don't be silly, Luci, my mom didn't tell me. Your Dad did when I talked to him earlier. Now can you please make me fly one more time before bed?" Lucifer looked momentarily panicked but quickly slapped a smile on his face. Grateful for the excuse to leave, he picked Emily up and flew her to her room.

"What was that all about?" Elaine glared at Lynne.

"I dunno, kids are weird..." Lynne shrugged and looked away.

"I smell bullshit, Lynne Marie…" Her glare intensified, but she saw Lucifer walking back towards them and forced a smile onto her face.

"She's ready for you now, so I'll be off. Thank you for dinner, love, it was delicious." He pulled Lynne in for a hug and whispered into her ear. "Tell your mother the truth, if you must. I think she can handle it, and I don't want you bearing the burden of my secrets with her." He kissed her cheek and turned to Elaine. "It was marvelous to meet you, Elaine, and thank you again for the invitation. Take care, now, and have a lovely visit with your girls!"

Elaine pulled him in for a big hug. "It was _truly_ a blessing to meet you, Lucifer. I hope to see you again before I leave town."

"So do I," he said as he walked towards the door and Lynne and Elaine went to tuck Emily in for the night.

* * *

 

Lynne and Elaine finished the dishes in relative silence. "Ok, enough dilly-dallying, Lynne Marie. Time to talk. Patio?" Lynne nodded and they walked outside and settled into their seats with the rest of their wine. Lynne took a sip and a few deep breaths as she tried to figure out where to start. "Oh sweetie, is it that bad? I'm your mom, and I love you. Unconditionally. You can tell me anything." Elaine smiled and rubbed her arm reassuringly.

Lynne smiled back. "I know, I'm sorry, it's just so complex… I know we've talked about all the stuff I've been working through in therapy, and how difficult that's been for me and how awesome and supportive he's been through all of it, especially during that big breakdown of mine..." Elaine nodded lovingly. Lynne took a deep breath as her eyes began to light up. "For the past couple of weeks, I've finally felt like I'm back to normal. Well, whatever my new normal is."

Elaine nodded and smiled. "That's so wonderful to hear, sweetie, and I can't tell you enough how proud I am of you! I know it took a lot of strength and courage to face all of that head on, and I am so glad you finally did!" Her face suddenly fell in sorrow. "I'm just so sorry I didn't force you into counseling when you were a teenager. I truly regret being so caught up in my own grief and overwhelming depression that I wasn't really there for you as a parent when you needed me most. Your sister had her husband and that sweet little newborn to focus on, but you had nobody other than yourself and some friends, at such a tender age..." Tears began to fall.

Lynne got up and hugged her. "It's okay Mom, we talked about this. We _all_ did what we needed to survive, and we survived! We even found a way to thrive! And you’re an incredible mother, I would _never_ have made it this far in life without your love, support, and guidance. So let that guilt go once and for all. _Please_."

Elaine hugged her tight. "Fine, fine. Guilt-be-gone." She waved an imaginary wand in the air. "So what's up, sweetie? Why are you holding back with him?"

Lynne sighed as she sat back down. "Well, initially it was because of my whole mindfuck and fear of how I felt about him. I know it sounds crazy because I haven't known him very long, but we have such an amazing connection and being with him just feels… right. And natural." She sighed happily. "Even with all the up's and down's, or maybe because of them, I just… I think I _genuinely_ love that man. And I'm finally in a place where I can accept that and be open to it." She let out another big sigh. "Phew! It feels so good to say that out loud!"

Tears came to Elaine's eyes again. "Oh, sweetie, that is amazing!" She clapped gleefully. "And yes, it hasn't been very long, but sometimes when you know, you know. I knew I was going to marry your father on our very first date, and he later admitted he felt the same way."

Lynne smiled. "If we have even half the connection you guys did, I'll consider myself truly blessed." They both giggled as she took another few sips of wine. "So, as you know, Emily's the biggest factor to consider in all of this, and I guard her heart significantly more closely than my own." Elaine nodded knowingly. "My gut tells me that it's safe now, at least as far as introducing them. It's still WAY too soon to jump into any sort of stepdad scenario despite her little marriage proposal earlier." They laughed as the recalled the earnestness in Emily's eyes.

"So, way back when Lucifer and I reconnected after I worked through my grief, we had a really intense heart-to-heart. Afterwards, when we were figuring out how to approach our relationship and make it all work despite our totally opposite lifestyles, he said he was willing to come here sometimes and even talked about playing board games with her, which I immediately shut down and kind of freaked out about and essentially told him never to bring her up again. Not my most shining moment…"

Elaine laughed. "That's my Lynne, never one to sugarcoat!"

Lynne smiled. "Yup, I'm such a charmer, no wonder he fell for me!" She took another sip of her wine. "So, basically, she's become this huge milestone and symbol of commitment. I'm ready to take that step, but you know how she is. Shit, you saw firsthand how quickly she latched onto him! I _knew_ that was gonna happen, which is why I haven't talked to him about it yet. I don't think he's ready for all of THAT so soon, and I don't want to scare him off or make him feel like he has to make yet another huge change to his life just to be with me. That's not fair, especially on top of all he's done for me when I've done almost nothing for him in return. I was trying to figure out how to approach it all, which is what I wanted your advice on, then finally talk to him about it after you leave and get his input. But it seems our friend upstairs took it upon Himself to force the issue today, so here we are..."

Elaine smiled as she looked up to the sky. "He does like to take charge in His own way sometimes, doesn't He?" She sighed as they both took a sip of wine. "So what's the scoop, is he some kind of divine matchmaker for his angels or something?"

Lynne choked on her wine. "Excuse me?!"

Elaine laughed. "Oh, please Lynne, don't think I didn't see that little exchange between you two when Emily called him out. Children know these things, and you know my beliefs about all of that. So what's his deal? Why's he here?"

Lynne eventually picked her jaw up off the floor and took a few big gulps. "Wow... Okay... You're handling this SIGNIFICANTLY better than I did, Mom. His wings accidentally popped out and I woke up to them that first morning, then basically ran away locked myself in the bathroom for God knows how long and _completely_ lost my shit there for a while. How are you so nonchalant?"

"Well, it's one thing to see divinity and another to truly believe in it, honey. My faith has grown stronger and stronger over the years and I don't need proof to know in my heart that it's all real. That's what faith is." She smiled. "Between that, my gut, and that comment from Emily about his father, it was pretty obvious by the time I actually asked you, and your reaction confirmed my theory." She laughed. "So what's Lucifer's deal? I've always known there's more to the story than what we've been told. I see nothing but goodness in that man, and my gut never lies."

Lynne couldn't help but laugh. "Okay… So I haven't gotten the FULL story yet. As you can imagine it's a super touchy subject for him." Elaine nodded.  "He basically came to earth for a vacation about a decade ago and hasn't gone back. The whole Hell/Satan thing was essentially a punishment from God, but the story's much different than what we've been told. And he's different. Not perfect by any means, but good Lord, talk about a smear campaign!" She shook her head. "Did you know that he's the only angel that was given free will? It's mind-blowing when you think about how that all went down..." Elaine raised her eyebrows knowingly. " I believe that he and God finally made up after some stuff happened a few years ago, so they're pretty much cool again and he just kinda lives on Earth now, has the life and freedom he always wanted. Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean."

Elaine nodded as she took another sip of wine. "Makes sense."

Lynne giggled. "I just can't get over how laid back you are about all this. You're something else, Mom. I love you."

Elaine smiled. "You know I always have a few tricks up my sleeve, Lynne! And I love you too. So how did he react when you had your little revelation and subsequent meltdown?"

Lynne sighed. "He was incredible, Mom. It wasn't the first time he's been down that road, but he seemed really shaken up by it and genuinely concerned for my well-being. Which was shocking in and of itself, I would never have expected that from the literal king of Hell. He gave me the time and space I needed to work through it all and was completely upfront and honest and understanding as I worked through it all." She sighed again and took another sip of wine. "As annoying as it was at the time, and no matter how hard I desperately tried to get him to tell me what to do, he never once tried to guide me one way or the other. It was important to him that every decision was mine and mine alone to make, and all he wanted was for me to find peace and contentment, no matter what that looked like. That's all he's ever wanted for me since day one, and still does. There's no doubt he's an angel with the patience he's shown me as I've worked through all my shit."

Elaine smiled. "Wow, that's… He's a special guy, Lynne."

"He sure is…" Lynne's face lit up as she thought of him. "So it took some time for me to process, obviously, but I genuinely felt like God was there with me in that bathroom, and eventually found comfort in the fact that I knew He was really real. That truth filled me with warmth and peace and gave me the strength I needed to face the whole 'I just slept with the devil himself' ordeal, which was a LOT more difficult to come to grips with. And then… I don't know, maybe it's because I saw living proof of his angelic origins, or the kindness, patience, and honesty he showed me, but I was able to see beyond his title and reputation. I looked at him and saw man that had faced a lifetime of pain and torment and was truly trying to be a good person in spite of it all. So I gave him a chance, and, well, you know the rest…" She sighed deeply. "So now that you know EVERYTHING about him, how do you think I should proceed?"

Elaine took a few breaths as she gathered her thoughts. "Well, divinity aside, I would say that given the intensity of that weekend, had you kept going it surely would have fizzled out. You were right to take some time and each work through things on your own before reconnecting. And I think you're doing everything right now, taking it slow, not rushing into anything, so you can both be sure it's the real deal. But I think you both know deep down it is." She smiled as she threw her patented MomLook at Lynne, who rolled her eyes and nodded. "You need to continue those heart-to-hearts and be honest with each other about how you feel, no matter how scary it may be. If challenges come up, or one of you wants to pull away, don't let go too easily. Relationships take work, Lynne. And if you work and work and it starts to only feel like work, or if either of you are just in it because of some sense of obligation, reassess and be willing to walk away. Just like you did with David, although let's be real-  you knew going into it that the spark wasn't there. You and Lucifer have that spark, and I genuinely believe there's something legitimate between you two, it's the same gut feeling I got when I met your father. I know it's scary but you just have to go for it, Lynne.”

Lynne nodded, and Elaine continued. "So, putting divinity back on the table amplifies that all significantly. God knows what he's doing, sweetie, and it sounds to me like he is putting blatantly obvious signs in your path, which is very unlike Him unless it's important. Maybe it's because of Lucifer's divinity, or maybe he's just heard my prayers or yours or maybe all of it. But either way, you need to put your trust in Him like you always have, and put your trust in Lucifer as well. I can tell he's all in with you, honey, and it's 100% genuine. I don't know how angel biology or lifespans work, but if it's meant to work out, it will. You both need to just stop fighting God's will, and _especially_ yourselves, already and just take that leap of faith together."

Lynne sighed. "You're right. I can't even count the blaring road signs that guy's put in front of me throughout my life and it's always worked out for the best." Elaine nodded in agreement. "You know, I've had quite a few big heart to hearts with Him as well since I found out He was real, and He's answered in his own way countless times. Today was just the literal act of God to hit me upside the head and force me to take that leap."

Elaine smiled as she finished her glass. "Like I said, He knows what He's doing! Would you mind if we worked on that plan of attack another time, though, sweetie? I'm still on East Coast time and it feels like midnight."

Lynne smiled. "Of course! We've got ten whole days to figure it out. I'll clean up out here, you go ahead and make yourself at home in my room. And thanks again for everything, Mom, I'm so lucky to have you." They hugged and Elaine went back inside.

* * *

"Come on, Lynne, just do it already!" Elaine was getting angry now.

"But Mom, I have work and we have our special tradition and-"

"Lynne Marie Gardner, listen to your mother. Work will be there when you get back, and I don't go home for another five days. Now call that man _right now_ or I'll do it myself!" She slammed her fist on the table.

"Ugh. Fine." Lynne rolled her eyes and dialed. "Hi… She's right next to me… You're ridiculous, stop… Actually yes, wait, did you two-" She covered the microphone with her hand. "When did you guys swap numbers?!" Elaine shrugged innocently. "Oh my God, Mom. You're such a creep! But I love you." She blew her a kiss and put the phone back to her ear. "Ok, fine. Where?... Ugh, how the hell am I supposed to pack if you won't tell me? … Stop, my mom is RIGHT HERE…. Come on, at least tell me if we're flying… That's absurd, I meant an airplane… You're impossible... Fine, just give me like an hour… Are you serious right now? Oh my God, you two are unbearable."

"Ahh, but you must admit we make quite a dynamic duo, darling." Lucifer said as he strode in and put his arm around Elaine as they both smiled smugly at her.

Lynne couldn't help but laugh at their charming absurdity. "What if I had an important meeting tomorrow? And what about saying goodbye to Emily? You guys have _no_ sense of reality sometimes. Thank God I love you…"

They both laughed. "Did Lynne just drop the 'L-bomb' at me, Elaine?" Lucifer asked as he turned to her.

She smiled at him. "Why yes, I believe she did, Luci. Awwwwwww my little baby's in looooooooove." She turned back towards Lynne and made kissing noises.

Lynne rolled her eyes. "I fucking _can't_ with you two. Try not and scheme while I'm packing and calling in sick, okay?" They both giggled as they shot her the boy scout's honor pledge.

Lynne shook her head as she walked into her room. _Did I just step into some alternate reality? Are my mom and the devil seriously besties? Oh God, I hope you're happy with yourself._ She smiled upwards. _I sure am._


	4. Chapter 4

A few hours later, Lynne was fully reclined in her seat as she admired the crisp night sky. "Those stars of yours never get old, babe…"  She turned to admire Lucifer's equally stunning profile and noticed the sign on the highway. She sat up as she turned the music down. "No way… Vegas? Please tell me you guys didn't arrange some impromptu chapel wedding, I don't care how hard Emily begged, it's too soon!"

Lucifer laughed. "Been there, done that, love. If we do ever tie the knot, I assure you you'll be a part of that decision, with a nice big rock to remind you ahead of time."

Lynne punched his arm. "What?! You were MARRIED? Why haven't you told me that yet?" 

Lucifer chuckled and shook his head. "It's not like that, Lynne, it was strictly a mutually beneficial arrangement with a dear friend and, despite my best efforts, 100% platonic. I helped her with some problems, she helped me with some of mine, and together we even helped solve a case and rescue her family's nightclub! We annulled it and everyone went on their merry way, no biggie."

Lynne rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Lucifer. I swear sometimes you're the most absurd person I've ever known, but I love you anyway. So tell me about this case of yours…"

* * *

They pulled onto the strip and Lynne couldn't help but squeal in delight as she took in the lights and buildings and excitement around them. "This is INCREDIBLE!"

Lucifer chuckled. "Have you seriously never been here before?"

Lynne rolled her eyes. "Don't act so surprised, you know how boring I am, Lucifer. I was so focused on my career, I never really got a chance to make it over this way before Emily came along…"

Lucifer took her hand. "You may have had a dreadfully boring life, but thankfully you met me before you were a complete lost cause. I'm rather pleased to be the one to pop this cherry for you, not everyone gets to experience Sin City the first time with the devil himself."

"Thanks," she said sarcastically. "I don't even want to know what you've gotten into here over the years, I feel like this place is hedonism at its finest." He smiled and nodded enthisiastically. "I'm surprised you chose the City of Angels as your home base, not here, but I'm also very glad you did, so you could rescue me from such a pathetic fate..." She kissed his cheek as they pulled into the entryway of the most extravagant hotel she'd ever seen.

Lucifer chuckled as he got out of the car. "Oh, darling, even the devil needs a reprise from this place sometimes." He threw his keys to the valet as he walked over to open her door.  She laughed as he took her hand to help her out of the car and led her through the lobby. She stopped and stared at the grandeur around them in awe. She felt like she was standing in heaven itself, from the massive fountains and gorgeous sculptures to the marble floors and glistening chandeliers above them.

Lucifer laughed again. "Oh, Lynne, if you think that's divine just wait until I show you my little home away from home here," Lucifer said as he gently tugged her arm. "Come, now, love, off we pop. I promise I'll let you gawk until your heart's content tomorrow."

They took a private elevator up to the top floor, where their bags were waiting for them as they stepped into an absolutely breathtaking corner suite. It had an open-plan living area with a full bar, modest kitchen, pool table, living and dining areas, and even a piano. Every surface was beautifully decorated in black-and-white swirled marble that sparkled where the lights hit it, as if little stars were twinkling through the stone. The walls were floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the incredible skyline as well as a private hot tub and small infinity pool that were lit by the warm glow of a fire pit. Lynne could have spent hours admiring the pure extravagance that surrounded her, but she had a tradition she needed to follow first.

She dropped her purse, ran over to the larger than king-size bed and dove into it. She stood up and began jumping on it as Lucifer watched her in shock from the entryway. "What? It's a tradition my sister and I started the first time we ever went on a vacation, which my parents actually encouraged."  She laughed and threw a pillow towards him. "Come on, Lucifer, don't try and act like you aren't dying to join me in breaking some rules." She threw another pillow at him. "Get up here, you handsome devil!" He rolled his eyes and begrudgingly joined her. She grabbed his hands and pulled his arms as she began to jump again. He finally gave in and they spent a few gleeful minutes jumping around like children left unattended.

They landed on the pile of pillows with a huff as their giggles died down. Lynne curled up against Lucifer and laid a few kisses onto his chest. "Thank you, Lucifer, seriously. This is incredible. You're incredible. I'm sorry I gave you shit earlier about scheming with my mom instead of immediately appreciating all thought and effort that went into this trip. It really means a lot to me, more than you could ever know."

"It's my pleasure, Lynne." He squeezed her as he kissed her forehead. "And really, it wasn't much, just a call here and a reservation there. It was all your mother's idea, she thought you could use a few days-" 

Lynne stopped his words with a kiss. "I mean it, Lucifer. This suite is fantastic and all, but I'm really just grateful to have you in my life." She kissed him again and looked into his eyes with wonder and gratitude. "Lucifer 'of course I have a penthouse suite in Vegas' Morningstar, you're truly the most kind, supportive, patient, caring, loving-"

Lucifer brought his lips to hers again. "I appreciate the kind words, Lynne, but if you keep going one of us is bound to start crying, and I'm afraid there is a strict no-tears-allowed rule here. If you bothered to look at the emergency exit instructions on the door you would have seen it..." He smiled as he began to tickle her into a fit of laughter as she squirmed and almost fell off the bed. "I'm grateful to have you as well. Now why don't you go explore some more while I order us a midnight snack?"

Lynne rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, you big sap." She kissed his cheek and made her way to the bathroom to put away their toiletries. Lucifer heard Lynne gasp as she stepped inside and smiled as he rolled over and picked up the phone to order room service. She came back out a few minutes later wrapped in a luxurious robe, her eyes lit up with excitement. "Lucifer… I thought you had the best bathroom I'd ever seen, but holy shit! That thing is bigger than any hotel room I've even been in! There's a freaking COUCH in there! And that tub… Whew! THE TOILET EVEN HAS ITS OWN ROOM!"  She began to bounce up and down excitedly.

He chuckled as he walked over and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm glad you enjoy it, love. Now I know where to look if I wake up alone tomorrow morning… " He ran a trail of kisses down her neck and across her shoulder as he slowly slipped the robe off of her. "Why don't we see how many ways you can thank me before our room service arrives…"

"That's precisely what I was thinking." Lynne smiled as she began to undo his pants while she walked him back towards the bed. She slipped her hands into his boxer briefs, squeezing his ass, and began to pull them down to his ankles as she gently pushed him back to sit on the bed. She lightly scratched his thighs as she knelt down in front of him and saw his cock jump. She licked her lips as she smiled up at him, and he flashed her a devilish grin in return.

She began to slowly lick across and around his length, being careful to avoid his head as he grew harder with each pass of her tongue. She locked eyes with him as she pressed his tip against her lips, flicking her tongue against his bundle of nerves, and he inhaled sharply. She smiled as she brought him into her mouth, swirling her tongue around his cock as it gently hit the back of her throat. His eyes closed and his head fell back in pleasure as she brought a hand to his base and wrapped her fingers around it. She began to gently twist and pump as she closed her mouth around his head and sucked in her cheeks. She tightened her grip and bobbed her head up and down as soft moans fell from his lips.

She increased her pace, and his sounds of pleasure grew louder. She relaxed her throat and moved her hand to tenderly cup his balls as she took him deeper into her mouth. He ran his fingers through her hair and gently guided her into a steady rhythm as the muscles in his thighs began to contract. She tightened her lips around him as he thrust into her, and her thumb began to knead the base of his shaft, and she gently massaged his balls as they began to subtly twitch in her hand.

She felt his cock begin to throb and stiffen just as there was a knock at the door. Her laughter reverberated around him and his breath caught in his throat. Another knock came and Lucifer released her hair as he tried to stand up, but Lynne locked eyes with him and pressed down on his thighs with both of her hands as she shook her head, his cock pressing against her cheeks. She settled back into her rhythm, and his hands soon returned to her hair, increasing her pace.

She locked eyes with him again as she laved her tongue around him. She felt him begin to stiffen again and caught his head with her lips on an outward thrust, pressing her thumb into the patch of skin behind his balls as a third knock rapped on the door. She brought her other hand around his base and began to pump again as she sucked and swirled her tongue around his head and the door began to open.

"Wait!" He gasped almost breathlessly. She flicked her tongue against the bundle of nerves on underside of his head. "Just leave it on the tab-ahhhhh" Lucifer's words turned into a loud moan as Lynne pressed her tongue and thumb down simultaneously as she pumped him vigorously. His cock began to throb and shoot warm streams into her throat. She heard the door close as she brought him fully into her mouth and sucked the rest of the seed from him, her tongue swirling around his cock as it jerked and twitched before finally settling. She released him with a loud pop and looked up at him, smiling as she swallowed.

Lucifer cupped her cheek with his hand and smiled down at her lovingly. He gently pulled her up and rested his head against her stomach as his hands began to crawl upwards towards her apex. She giggled as his fingertips tickled her and stepped back. "We've got all weekend for that, Lucifer." She tried to stifle a yawn. "It's getting late and I don't want our food to get cold. Raincheck?"

Lucifer ran a trail of kisses up her stomach, between her breasts, and up her neck to her mouth where he kissed her softly as he stood up. "As you desire, love."

* * *

They spent all morning, and most of the afternoon, in each other’s arms, drifting in and out of sleep and desire, perfectly content to be trapped in their magical bubble of pure pleasure. Lynne's eyes opened as the smell of coffee drifted into her nostrils, and she rolled over to find Lucifer smiling at her. "Hey there…" she said softly as she smiled brightly at him.

He leaned down and kissed her. "Well hello to you, too, Sleeping Beauty. Fancy some brunch?"

She sat up and kissed him again. "Why yes, yes I do." He smiled as he passed her a mug of coffee and a plate of French toast with a few strips of perfectly crisp bacon. She sighed and put the plate down for a moment before pinching herself. "Nope, okay, this is really real."

Lucifer chuckled as he bit down gently on her shoulder. "Those scratches down my back are certainly a good indicator that it is..."

Lynne chuckled as she leaned over to kiss the marks she left. "Sorry about that, there wasn't much else to hold on to at the moment."

"I quite liked it, actually, it made me feel like a powerful predator catching his prey." He growled into her ear as he crawled on top of her, and her coffee spilled onto the pillow.

"Oh shit! That's gonna stain-"

He kissed the words from her mouth. "There's plenty more stains for the maids to clean, love, what's one more? Don't worry, I tip them very generously." He took her mug and refilled it from the carafe beside him as he sat back down. "So tell me, darling, why would you think this isn't real?" He passed her the mug and she took a sip before heaving a deep sigh.

"All of this, and you, and the fact that I just spent all day napping and fucking, two of my favorite pastimes. It's literally the best possible way I could have ever imagined to spend my birth-" she clamped her hands over mouth.

"Your what?" Lucifer's eyebrows shot up as he gently pried her hands away from her lips. "Is there something you neglected to mention to me, darling?"

Lynne looked down her hands as a blush crept to her cheeks. "Nothing…" she said softly.

Lucifer placed his hand on her chin and tilted her head back towards his. "Now, now, Lynne, you know better than to lie to me. I'm the devil, after all, I can tell when people aren't being truthful. And even if I weren't, you're a _terrible_ liar, darling."

Lynne's cheeks were bright red now. "I know, it's awful. But at least it keeps me honest!" She flashed him her most innocent smile as she picked up a piece of bacon and brought it to her mouth.

He grabbed it out of her hand and tried to look as stern as possible. "Out with it, Lynne Marie."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "My birthday. I'm turning 33. Today."

"Finally, the truth is out!" He burst into laughter. "In the vein of honesty, I must admit I already knew it."

Lynne went to punch him but stopped herself, and gently caressed his arm instead. "How? What, did you sneak a peek at that big book of your father's? Very few people other than him know the actual day..."

"I would _never_..." Lucifer scoffed as he shook his head. "That mother of yours is _quite_ the blabbermouth, Lynne. She called and asked if I was taking you out, offered to watch Emily, and was just as surprised as I was that I didn't know. Now what would old Henry and Gertie have to say about that?"

Lynne sighed. "Sorry. I would have told you, but I just kind of hate my birthday, and as a force of habit I keep it on the down low. And I love you dearly, but I didn't want you making a big deal out of it and throwing some extravagant celebration as you tend to do..."

Lucifer smiled. "Ahh, well I suppose I should call the squad and tell them to cancel their flights, then, shouldn't I?"

"Lucifer, you _didn't_!" Lynne squealed and punched him for real this time. "That's so sweet and thoughtful and I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but please tell me you're kidding."

He pulled her into a tight embrace. "Don't worry, Elaine was adamantly clear that I shouldn't be too 'extra' and nearly threatened my life when I mentioned it. But honestly, Lynne, I don't understand why you wouldn't want to go all out and celebrate, it's your personal holiday!"

Lynne sighed again. "I know, it's just that I tend to fall into a bit of a depression every year around this time. I don't care about getting older or any of that garbage, but it's kind of a big mile-marker and I end up reflecting on my life, and it's just evolved into an annual pity-party for me, a scheduled breakdown if you may. And I _hate_ being around people when I'm like that, all vulnerable and weepy, so I prefer to just lay low."  She snapped the bacon out of his hand and took a bite.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but my mom always makes a trip out and spends it with me, knowing that she and Emily are the only people I ever allow into my fortress of solitude. And we usually just spend the day in our pajamas binge-watching all my favorite movies, it's like Gardner-girl movie night on steroids. And I didn't want you to know that it was happening and feel left out or think that I didn't trust you enough to let you join, which I totally do. It's just you hadn't even met Emily yet, and-"

He kissed her. "It's okay, I understand. I know you wanted to make this big plan when it came to her and I, and dear old Dad forced your hand before you were ready. I'm not offended. Truly."

"I _was_ ready, I just didn't know how to approach the subject with you.” She sighed. “I know how it must sound, I'm supposed to be able to tell you anything, and was probably just making a mountain out of a molehill like I always do, but…"

He kissed her again. "It's true. About telling me anything, anyhow. I'm not a parent so I can't say if that mountain was justified. But what made it so difficult to talk to me about her?"

"I just couldn't figure out how to word it without offending you…" She took a sip of her coffee as she tried to come up with the right words to say.

He took the mug from her hands and set it down on the nightstand. "As long as you're being honest with me, I promise I won't be. Deal?" He took her hand in his.

She shook his hand. "Deal." She took his other hand and squeezed it as she turned to him. "So, as you know, Emily's like the biggest milestone in the world for me, and I guard her heart infinitely closer than I do my own. Which, as you also know, is pretty fucking close." He rolled his eyes as he nodded. "So, like I told you in the kitchen, I'm finally in a place where I'm ready to take that step. But Emily…" She sighed as she looked into his eyes and saw a flash of pain. "You're worth that risk, 100%. I don't have any concerns about her getting hurt by an inevitable breakup. I swear on my father's grave that's not it. But I don't know how to articulate the concern I have…"

"Just say it, Lynne." He brought his hand to her cheek and gently caressed it with his thumb. "There's no need to sugarcoat with me."

She sighed and squeezed his hand again. "Well, you saw how quickly she latched on to you. I mean, she spent maybe 15 minutes total with you and was already proposing marriage. And seeing how natural you were with her, and that comment about how you make her heart smile… My own heart practically exploded right there in the cereal aisle."

He smiled as he recalled their adventures. "I was surprised by our immediate connection as well…. That comment about talking with my father was a doozey, but I found it rather comforting, actually. One less revelation to deal with…" His face turned more serious. "So where exactly is the problem in all of this?"

Lynne sighed again. "I know we talked about the whole 'neither of us has any desire for you to jump into step-dad mode' thing, but I had a feeling she'd fall in love with you quickly. Certainly not within minutes, but I knew you two would hit it off. And that combined with her whole… situation… well, I just don't think we can avoid her jumping in feet first. We might already be beyond that at this point. Are you sure you're ready for all that?"

Lucifer tried not to look as unsure as he felt as his memories of his bond with Trixie came flooding back. Pain shot across his face as he remembered the look on her face and the tears falling from her eyes as he said goodbye for the last time, and tears began to well in his eyes. Lynne hugged him closely. "I'm sorry, Lucifer, really, I didn't mean to hurt-"

"It's not that, Lynne. Well, it is, but not the way you think." He took a deep breath and tried to shake off the sinking feeling in his stomach. "That woman I told you about, the test… She had a daughter as well, who was just about Emily's age when I first met her. I was the one to jump in feet first, to rush things, to step into that role although her father was very much still an active part of her life. As painful as it was when that whole relationship went supernova, nothing hurt me more than having to say goodbye and break her precious, innocent little heart."

A few tears fell, and Lynne wiped them away. "I'm so sorry, Lucifer, I had no idea. Here I am rambling on like I'm the only one taking a risk here without even considering that you may have been down this road before or would have your own concerns. I'm so sorry for being a selfish asshole yet again."

Lucifer shook his head. "It's my fault, I should have told you about her ages ago. But like you, I struggled to find the right time and the right way, and took the easy way out when you told me to back off about Emily and never cross that boundary again. I was actually quite grateful for an excuse to lay that burden on your shoulders and have you figure out how to integrate her into my life all on your own."

"I'm pleased to have been able to bear some of your burdens for a change. And will happily do so as long as you want me to." She hugged him tight. "Now that you know how I feel, we can take a BIG step back, and when you're ready, IF you're ever ready, we can talk about it again and figure out how to phase her in together." She wiped away the one last tear that hadn't dried yet.

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Lynne." He pulled her in for a deep kiss. "Come, now, let's finish our brunch before it gets cold."


	5. Chapter 5

Lucifer rolled off of Lynne, panting heavily as they came down from their high. She curled into him as she rolled over and kissed his neck. "You never cease to amaze me, Lucifer 'each orgasm is somehow better than the last, defying all laws of physics' Morningstar. I truly am the luckiest girl in the whole world to have you."

"That you are, darling." He smiled as he hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. "I quite enjoy finding different ways to pleasure you, it's a rather refreshing challenge. There's only so many ways to share my talents with someone in one night, it's nice to have a lover who can appreciate the full extent of my many, many gifts."

"My, my, my, who knew the devil could find joy in monogamy?" She giggled as she crawled on top of him. "Here, let me share some of my very-limited gifts with you as thanks." She leaned down and kissed him.

He deepened their kiss and bucked his hips against hers before lifting her off of him. "I would love nothing more than to expand your repertoire of talents all day, but I didn't bring you all this way just to spend it in bed with you, we could have easily done that at home. There's a wonderful world waiting for us outside this suite, my love. Let me show it to you."

"Okay, Aladdin." She giggled as she got up from the bed. "Why don't you join me for a shower before you roll out that magic carpet of yours?" She began singing "A Whole New World" as she walked into the bathroom. He waited until he heard the water running and crept to his suitcase, where he pulled out a few boxes and snuck them under the bar before joining her in the shower to teach her another new trick.

* * *

Lynne wrung her hair out with the towel as she walked towards the closet. "So, where are we off to? And if you're gonna keep it a mystery, at least help me figure out what to wear." She turned and looked him in the eyes. "And yes, I do need to wear something other than my birthday suit."

Lucifer laughed from behind the bar as he finished mixing their drinks. "You know me so well... Let's discuss it over this magnificent birthday drink I just created for you. You're going to love it _almost_ as much as you love me."

She smiled as she walked over. "Well aren't we just full of presumptions, Mr. Morningstar..." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his chest. "You're lucky you have me around to keep you grounded, otherwise that big handsome head of yours would just float away."

He scoffed. "It's certainly not egotistical to have confidence in one's self or abilities when justified. Save your attempts to keep mine in check until you've at least tasted it."

"This is true…" She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "I love you and your perfectly justified amount of confidence. You're as close as you can get to perfection, Lucifer, and I say that with zero sarcasm. But… that's pretty much a given since you're literally Heaven-forged."

She tried to kiss him again and he tickled her away. "Hush now, just try it." He passed her the glass and watched eagerly as she took a sip.

"Now that," she said before taking one more sip and setting her glass down, "is utterly divine. Nectar of the gods…"

He laughed as he wrapped her in a hug again. "I'm afraid you're wrong, that can only be found between your legs. But I agree, it comes pretty close. It was inspired by you, after all." He reached down, took out a box, and placed it on the counter. "Time for another present, darling."

“Lucifer, please, you've spoiled me so much already! I don't want or need anything for my birthday other than you. Seriously."

Lucifer handed it to her with a stern look on his face. "Enough of that, I'll say when I'm done spoiling you. Which happens to be never, by the way. Now don't insult me, open it!"

She took a deep breath and resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she untied the black tulle bow and lifted the cover from the box. She carefully unfolded the black sparkling tissue paper and exhaled as she caught a glimpse of crimson silk _. Phew, it's just lingerie. A gift for him as well…_ She exhaled slowly as she pulled back the rest of the tissue paper and carefully lifted the fabric. She gasped when she realized it was actually a beautifully simple yet stunningly elegant evening gown.

She turned to him in shock and his smile fell. "What's wrong? It may be my favorite color, but I assure you, you'll look absolutely stunning in that shade, and your mother helped ensure it would fit like a glove and wasn't too extravagant. My designer and I have a lot of work to do with you Gardner girls…"

Tears began to well in Lynne's eyes. "Oh my God…"

"Now don't go bringing him into this, love." He gently grabbed the dress from her hands and held it up to her as he turned them to face their reflection in the window. "See? Absolutely ravishing."

She turned back to face him as a few tears escaped. "It's not that, it's just… Nobody's ever… I feel like Julia… And you even asked my… Just …. wow. Thank you, Lucifer." She pulled him in for a deep kiss. "I don't know what I must have done in a past life to deserve all of this thoughtfulness. Or you."

Lucifer scoffed. "That's a load of bullocks, and it's not about deserving anything. I love you, and I may not be an expert, but I believe when you love someone you make them feel special anyway you can. If a measly dress is enough to make you cry, then maybe you should sit down for the next gift." He guided her into the barstool and leaned down to pull out another box.

"I love you, too, Lucifer, but this is just too-" Lucifer presented her with an opened jewelry box, and her breath was taken away. Inside was a necklace made with a delicate chain of platinum, a string of small stars encrusted with flecks of diamonds and rubies across the center that perfectly matched both the shade and elegant simplicity of her dress. The matching earrings were equally subtle in their beauty. Each bore a matching star and trail of tiny diamonds that sparkled and made them seem as though they were shooting through the black velvet of the box. "Lucifer…" she said as more tears began to fall.

"Sorry, if I'd had more time I could have designed something-"

She shut him up with a kiss. "Don't you DARE apologize, Lucifer, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life! And the stars, _your_ stars, I seriously can't handle how special and thoughtful…" Her voice caught in her throat as tears began to fall freely.

He hugged her and ran his fingers through her hair. "Come now, love, we have a strict no-crying policy this weekend, and I'd prefer if you didn't break the rules. It really didn't take much effort at all."

She turned her head up towards his. "Don't you DARE downplay the effort that went into this. All of this," she said sternly as she gestured around the room and towards the skyline. Her voice softened as she locked eyes with him. "I'm not some girl in one of those cheesy rom-com's you love so much. I don't need fancy trips and exorbitant gifts to show you care, in fact they make me feel kind of uncomfortable. And the thought and planning you put into it… It's just too much…" She sighed as she hugged him. "I just hope you understand that all I want from you is _you_. I would be just as happy if we were sitting on my couch in potato sacks right now."

Lucifer smiled as he kissed her head. "I know, love. And that's what makes me want to do these kinds of things for you. You genuinely love me for who I am and ask nothing in return. It's quite the opposite of almost everyone I've ever met, and that in itself is the greatest gift you could ever give me." He kissed her as he wiped away her tears while holding back his own. "But you know me, Lynne. Extravagance and exorbitance is in my very DNA! Allow me to share that with you, spoil you even, it brings me joy." He smiled at her as he took a step back. "And don't be angry or cry again when I give you the matching heels. Those were truly just a call to the bell-hop after I saw the poor excuse for shoes you had tucked away in the closet."

Lynne laughed as she pulled him back and squeezed him tight. "Well maybe if you had given me a hint, I would have packed appropriately…" She leaned up and kissed him again. "Thank you, Lucifer. For everything. I meant what I said, I truly am the luckiest girl in the world to have you in my life. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He kissed her back and smiled as he pulled away from her. "And I meant what I said about the heartfelt words, stop before I'm a blubbering mess alongside you. Besides, our reservation was for five minutes ago. Off you pop, don't want to be too late now do we?"

"Whatever you say, you big softie. You're not fooling anyone." Lynne smiled as she pulled him back in for one more kiss. "I suppose we might as well see just how phenomenal I look in all this. Would you mind helping me?"

He flashed her a devilish grin. "It would be my pleasure…" he said as he removed his robe and pressed her against the bar as he ran a trail of kisses down her neck.

* * *

An hour later, they were seated in a private section of the most extravagant restaurant Lynne had ever set foot in. She gazed around them in disbelief. "Are you _sure_ we're not outside? It feels like we are. I mean, look at that perfectly-sunset-colored sky above us, how is that even possible?"

Lucifer smiled as he squeezed her hand. "Just wait until the sunset gives way to the night sky. I may have given them some suggestions on how to do it justice..."

Lynne looked back up in awe. "You're an artist, Lucifer Morningstar." Her gaze fell back to his face. "And thank you again for this outfit, I love it and for once feel like I'm dressed accordingly. You're so amazingly incredible."

He smiled as she leaned over to give him a hug, but was interrupted by the waiter, who stopped by with a plate covered by a gift box and set it on the table. "Ahh, here we go, right on time. Thank you ever so much, Don." The waiter nodded and walked away.

Lynne looked at him quizzically. " _Another_ present?"

He winked. "Nothing extravagant, I promise. Go on now, open it!"

His eyes lit with excitement as she lifted the box to find a cupcake with an unlit candle sitting on top of a tablet and heard the familiar ringtone of Skype. "What the…"

"Go on, answer it," he said as he brandished a lighter and lit the candle. He began singing "Happy Birthday" as she answered, and Emily and Elaine soon joined in.

Emily giggled. "Stop crying, mom, and make your wish before Luci blows out your candle and steals it from you!" Lynne tilted her head back and tried to hold the rest of her tears back as she thanked God for creating the inventor of waterproof makeup. She regained her composure and blew out the candle as they all clapped. Emily squealed with delight as her eyeball filled the screen. "What did you wish for, huh?"

Lynne smiled. "Nothing at all, boo bear. I have everything I could have ever wanted, and more! The only thing missing right now is a Gardner girl group hug."

Emily giggled and the video cut out as she tried to hug the laptop. "There you go! I'll give you more when you and Luci get back. But don't rush home, Nana is spoiling me _rotten_! Ouch, Nana, don't pinch me, she knows what happens when she leaves us alone…"

Lynne laughed as she shook her head. "I'm well aware, boo…" She smiled as she heard Elaine try to figure out how to get the video back on.

"Ahh, this son of a… Technology and Nanas don't mix. I love you, sweetie! Happy Birthday! Enjoy every last second of your special trip. And give old Luci there a big hug for me, will ya? Emily, come back, how do I get this flaming video back on?"

"I will. Thank you so much, Mom, you amazing little sneak. I love you so-" The call ended abruptly, and Lynne laid the tablet back down on the table and went over to hug Lucifer, giggling as he pulled her into his lap. "I can't even begin to thank you, Lucifer, that is straight up the most thoughtful thing anyone's done for me and it's taking all of my self-control to not burst into tears. I love you." She kissed him before she started crying again.

He deepened their kiss as he ran his hand across the silky fabric on her thighs, slowly creeping into the slit as he inched closer to her core. "I've an idea how you can thank me…" he said with a devilish grin.

Lynne giggled and pushed his hand away. "At least get me upstairs before you unwrap your present."

Lucifer scoffed as he placed his hand back on her thigh. "Why wait? It's Vegas, darling, let's give them a show!"

Lynne shook her head as she got up from his lap. "Maybe another time. For now, let's try and keep it PG while we dine, shall we?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes as he adjusted his suit jacket. "As you desire, my love." He motioned to the waiter, who quickly returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He nodded his thanks as he poured their wine and pushed her glass towards her as he lifted his glass in the air. "Cheers to you and your prudish ways, my love. Long shall you be filled with contentment and joy, and soon shall you finally give into my less Puritanical desires."

Lynne smiled as she raised her glass and clinked his. "Thankfully you're eternal, because you'll be waiting a loooooong time before I'll fuck you in the middle of a restaurant. Let's at least start with a dressing room or something, work our way up." She winked as she took a sip. "Mmm, this is incredible. You're incredible. Everything is incredible! This is first birthday in at least twenty years that I've truly enjoyed. Thank you for everything you've done to make that happen."

"The pleasure is all mine, Lynne." Lucifer smiled brightly at her before taking another sip of his wine. The waiter soon returned with two plates, adorned with silver covers instead of gift boxes this time. "Bon appetit," he said as he lifted the covers and scurried away.

Lynne's smile grew and encompassed her entire face as she looked down upon a perfectly cooked filet mignon, roasted red potatoes, and broccoli. "Oh, Lucifer! You remembered! What am I saying, of course you did, you're the most thoughtful person in the world!" She tilted her head back momentarily to send away the tears that were brimming, then leaned over and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "You're amazing. Thank you."

A slight blush appeared on Lucifer's cheeks. "You're welcome, darling."

Lynne smiled at Lucifer every time their eyes met as they are their meal with delight. She sighed heavily as she eyed the cupcake. "That looks so good, but sadly I'm so full that I genuinely think I might make myself sick if I even take one bite of it." She pushed it towards him. "Please, help yourself."

Lucifer smiled as he took her hand and helped her up from the table. "Don't worry, there's a dozen more waiting for us upstairs." He placed his hand on the small of her back as he led them out to the veranda. "Where to now, love? I was hoping you'd allow me to show you off a bit before ruining that lovely dress with frosting."

Lynne giggled as she looped her arm through his. "As you desire, Lucifer." She smiled as she leaned up to kiss him. "I'm up for anything! What are you in the mood for?" He raised an enticing eyebrow. "Other than that."

He smirked as he led her out towards the casino. "Fancy a little gambling?"

She nodded. "When in Rome…."

* * *

They began with slots, much to Lucifer's discontent, as they're "an elderly woman's haven," but when Lynne's eyes lit up with glee as she approach a Willy Wonka-themed machine, he gave in to her infectious joy and soon found himself enjoying the thrill of the game, joining as she sang along and cheered as they hit various jackpots and bonus rounds and her $100 investment gradually jumped into the thousands.  He managed to pull her away from the machine before she gambled all her winnings away and steered her towards the tables. He enjoyed trying to teach her the various games, but she preferred to sit back and watch him play, occasionally blowing on his dice or neck for good luck, depending on her mood, and cheering for him as his pile of chips grew.

"If you think that was fun, you should see the high-roller tables," Lucifer said as he led her to a private poker room. After watching and learning for a few rounds, Lynne finally found the courage to take a seat beside him to try her hand at Texas Hold 'Em. The other players began hemming and hawing in different languages at the pit boss, and Lynne raised a quizzical eyebrow to Lucifer. He chuckled as he got up from his chair and gently slid her into it to take his place. "They're a rather superstitious and overly paranoid bunch, and think we're trying to con them. It might be better if I let you play on your own for a while. Besides," he said as he peered down her dress. "The view from up here is much better."

She shook her head and laughed as she began to gather up his chips. He laid his hand on hers to stop her and she turned to face him, a look of shock on her face. "Lucifer, don't be crazy, there's enough here to pay my rent for a year! I have no idea what I'm doing, what if I lose it all?" The voices at the table suddenly hushed.

He smiled as he rubbed her shoulders. "It's only money, darling, I've got more than I'll ever need. Now get your eyes back on the table and try not to talk to me until the bets are settled, or you'll get them all in a tizzy again." He kissed her deeply. "Good luck," he said as he turned her back around.

Whether it was beginner's luck, birthday luck, or his kiss, Lynne won the first hand and had doubled his chips over the next two hours. She turned back and looked at him with excitement in her eyes as she pointed at the chips. "Look! I'm _awesome_ at this! This is so exhilarating!" Lucifer chuckled as he kissed her. "I've had Kenny Rogers' 'The Gambler' stuck in my head for a while, though. I better stop before my luck turns..." The table heaved a collective groan.

Lucifer laughed as he turned her back around. "One more round, love, then I'll teach you another exhilarating game I like to call 'Merry Maids' upstairs." 

Lynne rolled her eyes as the cards were dealt. "Fine." She looked around at the other players. "Don't let your guards down now, boys. I've got _all weekend_ with him and am in no rush to finish taking your money. Now who's got another cigarette for me?" 

 _That's my girl!_ Lucifer thought to himself and he watched with pride as Lynne bluffed her way into another jackpot. She finally had mercy on the table after two more hands and got up from the chair. She lifted her skirt into a pouch and giggled as some chips fell to the floor while she swept them into it. "Thanks, fellas. Don't fight over the ones that dropped, ya hear?" She couldn't contain her laughter as she sauntered away, skirt in hand, leaving a trail of errant chips in her wake.

Lucifer couldn't help but join in her laughter as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "You know the dealer would have swapped those out for higher denominations, love, right?"

Lynne giggled as she stumbled slightly under his weight while trying not to flash her lack of underwear to the casino. "I did notice that… But this way is so much more fun!"

"It absolutely is." Lucifer grabbed a handful and threw them over his shoulder and she nearly fell over in laughter. "Here, darling, let me lighten your burden some more." He grabbed another handful and tossed them towards the first row of slot machines he saw. They completely fell apart in giggles as they showered chips upon every patron in their path to roaring applause as they made their way to the teller.

Two burly-looking security guards walked up to them. "Ok, Robin Hood and her merry man, enough of your disturbance. We need to ask you to leave." Lucifer sighed and began to make some quip to get them out of it, but as he was talking Lynne quickly tied her skirt into a knot around the remaining chips, grabbed his hand, and began to run.

He threw his head back in laughter as he was pulled along through the casino and caught her as she almost tripped when the casino's carpet met the tile of the veranda, spilling a dozen more chips. They looked back at the security guards who were just standing there, shaking their heads and trying not to laugh. She waved at them and fell into another fit of laughter as she walked briskly and carefully towards a row of manicured shrubs, safely out of their eyesight. She pulled Lucifer behind them and into her embrace, kissing him passionately. She giggled as a few more chips fell when he brought her body closer to his.

"My, my, Miss Gardner…" he said as his hands gently squeezed her ass. "Deceit, fleeing from the scene of a crime, and now public indecency? Perhaps my influence on you is stronger than I realized…" He flashed her a devilish grin as his hand slid down to her thigh and hitched her leg up as he gently bucked against her, causing some more chips to trickle out.

"Certainly not, it must have been whatever they pump into the air in that dastardly casino…" She planted a kiss on his collarbone and slowly licked her way up to his ear before giving it a gentle nibble. "It has quite an exhilarating effect," she whispered into his ear as she reached down and gently squeezed his stiffening cock through his trousers. 

Lucifer moaned softly as she began stroking him through the fabric. "Ahh, yes that must be it," he purred as he kissed her neck. "It appears to have had quite the effect on me as well…" Her breath caught in her throat as he gently bit down on her pulse point.

"Whatever shall we do now?" she said softly as she moved in to kiss him again. He deepened their kiss as she loosened his belt and stepped them closer towards the wall. She undid his button and began to slowly unzip him as he reached down and untied the knot in her skirt.

"Well, I believe we should first dispose of the evidence," he said as he bent over and slowly unfurled her skirt, helping the remaining chips roll gently down to the floor. "And then we carefully check for any signs of lasting effects…" He lifted her skirt over his head as he ran a trail of kisses up her legs. She parted them for him, and his kisses continued until his lips met her apex. He dipped his tongue into her entrance, lapping up the arousal that had pooled there, and then slowly brought up it upwards and pressed it down on her clit. A moan escaped her lips as he gently sucked on her nub and slipped a finger inside of her. He began to pump his hand, slowly curling to rub against her g-spot and, his lips breaking into a smile as her legs began to tremble.

She whimpered as he pulled his fingers out and brought himself back up to face her. "I'm sorry, love," he said as he brought his fingers to her lips and gently pressed them inside for her to taste. "Sadly, the evidence I found confirms that you are, indeed, infected." He kissed her and moaned softly as he tasted her juices again. "Your chances for survival are slim at best."

"Say it ain't so…"  She frowned solemnly as she reached down and freed his throbbing cock from his pants and began stroking it, eliciting a sharp moan from his lips. "Is there no antidote?"

He licked his lips as he took a small step away from the wall. "You're in luck, darling, I just so happen to have the last dose available." He kissed her as he hitched up her dress. "I must warn you, though, the delivery method is rather unconventional…" He lifted her leg and brought it around his waist as he positioned himself against her entrance.

"I'll do whatever it takes," she whispered in his ear as she ground against him. "I just want to be well again." She kissed him as she brought him into her.

"As you desire," he murmured into her ear as he brought her other leg around his waist and lifted her up. He spun them around and pressed her against the wall as he began to thrust into her. A load moan fell from her lips and he brought a hand up to cover it. "Shh, we can't have anyone interrupting us until you've been fully vaccinated." She nodded as he removed his hand and buried her face in his neck.

He increased his pace as she kissed and sucked on his neck, and bit his lip to contain his own sounds of pleasure that were threatening to pour out as he brought them closer to their peaks. He shifted their positions slightly and she bit down on his shoulder to stifle another cry of ecstasy as he pummeled into her, hitting just the right spot. She ran her fingers through his hair and gently scratched his scalp as her mouth switched to the other side, her breath hot on his neck as her walls began to tighten deliciously around him.

Sensing she was close, he covered her mouth with his as he ground himself deep inside her, and her moan reverberated aeounded his tongue as she fell apart around him. He began to plunge in and out of her again as he chased his peak, and moved his mouth to her neck, kissing his way down to where it met her shoulder. His thrusts became erratic and he bit down, burying himself as deep as he could go inside of her as his cock stiffened and pulsed, emptying his seed into her as she began to clench down around him again. His mouth moved back to hers and kissed her as he pumped into her a few more times, their soft moans mixing together as her walls contracted deliciously around him.

Another small moan escaped her lips as he pulled himself out of her and set her back down. "That should do it," he said as he zipped up his pants. "We'll need to monitor you closely for symptoms over the next few days, but I do believe you're in the clear now." 

"Why thank you ever so much," she murmured as she kissed his cheek and pulled her dress back down. They adjusted their clothing and fixed each other's hair as best they could as they caught their breath.

Lynne bent down to pick up the chips and Lucifer chuckled. "Leave them there, love, they'll make quite a nice surprise for the groundskeepers. Besides, we can't risk being caught with any damning evidence of our crime, can we?"

"I suppose not. Thank heavens I have my own personal angel to guide me on my path to redemption." She giggled as he took her hand and led her out from behind the shrubs, where a few onlookers raised their eyebrows at them. She laughed as she squeezed his arm and steered him away from the casino. "Where to now, oh righteous one?"

Lucifer raised an enticing eyebrow. "Well, we can take that luck of yours and go earn some more alms for the poor, or perhaps we could go back upstairs and get you even dirtier before I clean you up."

Lynne smiled innocently at him. "I think we better go with plan B. Taking other people's money, no matter the worthy cause, probably still counts as a sin. Besides, we can't risk re-infection, I just took the only antidote."

"Merry Maids it is, then." He flashed her a devilish grin as he led her back towards the elevator.


	6. Chapter 6

Lynne awoke suddenly just before dawn in a pool of sweat. Lucifer's body was draped across hers and although his temperature naturally ran hot, his skin felt as though it was actually burning against hers. His muscles were subtly jerking and sweat ran down his brow, his face occasionally wincing as if he were in pain. _Oh no!_ _I’ve seen this before…_ she thought to herself as she reached up and placed the back of her palm against his forehead, flinching as the sweat felt like it was boiling against her skin.   _Poor thing… But I thought angels were immune to this sort of thing?_ He leaned into her hand as she cupped his cheek, and her thumb softly stroked his stubble. _Hmm, maybe it’s a divine strain, explains why I feel fine…_

His body stiffened as he cried out in a language she had never heard before, the pain and desperation in his voice piercing into her soul. Lynne's motherly instincts kicked in and she tried to slide out from underneath him so she could assess the situation and help provide him some relief. He clung to her desperately, pinning her to the bed with an arm across her chest and his leg wrapped tightly around hers. She tried to lift his arm, but it felt as though it weighed three tons. She attempted to wriggle out from under it, but he tightened his grip and whimpered as he buried his head into her bosom.  She brought her hand to the back of his head and began slowly stroking his hair. "Shhh… It's okay, Lucifer." She leaned down and kissed his forehead, not caring about the taste of his sweat or the heat against her lips. "You're gonna be okay, I'm here." She rubbed his shoulders as she kissed his head again. "I'll take good care of you, but first you need to let me get up."

His eyes fluttered open for a moment. "Don't leave me… I'm so sca-" His eyes snapped back shut and moments later his body began to tremble as he cried out again in that unfamiliar language. She managed to sit up and pulled him into her lap, cradling him with soft caresses and comforting shushes as tears began to fall from his eyes and soft whimpers escaped from his lips. She held him close and gently rocked him for a while, trying to comfort and console him in every way she could. His body eventually relaxed, and his eyes shot open, locking onto hers. He looked lost and afraid, and she pulled him closer. "It's okay, I'm here, I've got you, everything will be okay, just breathe."

He hugged her and buried his face into her neck again. She stroked his back as his shoulders heaved, his lungs desperately gasping for air. His breathing slowly steadied and he sat up, hanging his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry, Lynne..."

Lynne pulled him back to her and hugged him tight. "Shh… I love you, Lucifer. You have nothing to be sorry about." She kissed his forehead, which was slightly cooler now, but still too warm, even for him. "I'm here for you, and this isn't my first rodeo. I'll take good care of you, Luc, I promise. You'll be okay."

He broke free from her embrace and stood up, shaking out all his limbs. "Thanks, love, but I'm fine now. Your hug made me all better, see?" He twirled around in a circle with a bright smile on his face.

"I call bullshit, Lucifer Morningstar. You may be divine in every sense of the word, but angel or not you don't automatically go from whatever that was to perfectly fine." She stood got up from the bed, standing on her tiptoes as she reached up and felt his forehead and cheeks. "You're covered in sweat and still burning up, even for you." She gently grabbed his hands and began to lead him to the bathroom. "Let's at least get you in the bathtub to cool down a little."

Lucifer pulled his hands away from hers. "I said I'm fine!" he said sternly. "I'm an eternal being for Dad's sake, I'm not some child with a fever who needs Mummy to give him a tubby!”

 _Ugh! Then don’t fucking act like one!_ Lynne took a deep breath to calm the frustration beginning to boil inside of her. "Lucifer, I'm sorry if I made you feel like a child. I just care about you and want to help you feel better."

Lucifer sighed in exasperation. "I don't need any help. If the sweat bothers you so much, I will take a shower. ALONE,” he said, his voice steely as he abruptly turned on his heel to walk away.

Lynne resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his obstinance and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "I get that you don't want to talk about it, and I will respect that. But please, Lucif-"

"I SAID I'M FINE!!" he roared at her as he turned back to face her, bright flames bursting into his eyes as he grabbed her wrist and flung her hand off of him.

Lynne took a deep breath and three steps back. "Okay, you're fine. Roger that. Now go take your shower and calm the fuck down, Lucifer." She turned and began walking away towards the bar. "And don't you DARE speak to me in that tone again!" she yelled over her shoulder. She heard the bathroom door slam and crack into pieces as she reached the bar and poured herself a splash of vodka. She drank it, refilled the glass, and shot it back as she watched the sun begin to rise in the distance.

Her nerves began to settle by the time she poured the third one and decided to make herself a screwdriver instead. She grabbed the last cupcake as she walked out to the patio and turned on the jacuzzi. She took a bite, set her drink down on the ledge, and lowered herself into the hot water. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and let the jets do the work for her as she slowly began to relax.

* * *

"Mind if I join you?" Lynne's eyes fluttered open and she saw Lucifer's shadow looming over the water in front of her. _This asshole flips out at me and then interrupts my nap? Awesome..._ She shrugged her shoulders as she closed her eyes again and slipped down into the water. She bit her lip as she heard him lower herself into the water across from her and finally came up for air. "I refreshed your drink in case you're interested…" he said cautiously.

Lynne sighed and opened her eyes but avoided looking at him. She knew she needed to be patient and understanding with him right now, but his interruption had immediately re-ignited her anger. She took a deep breath as she reached beside her head and grabbed the drink, took a few sips as she calmed her nerves again, and finally turned to him. "So we're just gonna pretend everything's fine? That's the plan? Just wanted to double check so I can plan my day accordingly." She cursed herself for allowing the bitterness she felt come out through her tone and shot him an apologetic look.

He eyes glanced down at the water as he shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time…"

Lynne sighed again. "It would be easier, probably, but what would Henry and Gertie say?" She allowed a small smile to dance across her lips.

Lucifer looked up and smiled back somewhat weakly. "Ahh, yes, our wise old sages would probably recommend against that." He moved closer to Lynne on the bench but kept his distance. "I'm sorry, Lynne. I know you were just trying to help, but I'm not used to anyone seeing me like that and lashed out."

Lynne got up from the bench and began to tread water. "I get it. I'm the same way, you know that better than anyone! I'm sorry for pushing you when you were clearly uncomfortable." She swam over and hugged him. "But for real, are you okay? I genuinely thought you got some angel flu or something and my mom-mode kicked in."

Lucifer chuckled softly. "Nope, no such thing. Don't worry, mama bear, I'm fine now."

Lynne moved beside him and sat down on the bench, leaning her head on his shoulder. "What was that then? I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty scary to see you like that..."

Lucifer wrapped an arm around her shoulders and sighed. "I'm sorry, love."

"Stop apologizing, Lucifer." She kissed his collarbone. "Clearly I survived. But maybe if you tell me what happened I can be better equipped to help you next time, even if that means just giving you space. You were obviously suffering, and I just wanted to take it all away."

"Hopefully there won't be a next time, it's been ages since I've had one that bad...” He kissed her head and squeezed her shoulders. “It was nothing more than a nightmare, love. I get them sometimes, but rarely with someone else there, and certainly never one that intense." He sighed. "It was only a matter of time, I suppose, especially given how close we are… When I'm around you, most of my defenses just dissipate..."

Lynne smiled as she kissed his shoulder. "Aww, that's actually one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me."

"You know me, king of Hell and romance..." He sighed again as he began stroking her hair. "I just hate the feeling of vulnerability, it's so unnatural to me. And that nightmare was the worst I've had in ages. It felt SO real, like I was immediately transported back to when I…" He shuddered. "And for you to see me like that…"

Lynne leaned up and kissed him. "It was a dream, you can't control those. And even if it were a full-fledged breakdown, I'd still think you're the strongest and most amazing person in the world." He began to roll his eyes and she kissed him once more before moving in front of him and treading water again. "Seriously, Lucifer. I'm not trying to make this into a competition or anything, but do you remember when you had to literally fly in and rescue me from the side of the road when I hit one of my lowest points ever? I was blubbering away like the hottest of messes the entire trip home and you poor thing, you were just stuck in that car with me for hours with no means of escape. Talk about mortifying…”

Lucifer chuckled as she dunked her head underwater and popped back up. "That _was_ rather unnerving, Lynne, I felt completely helpless and useless, there was nothing I could do to stop it or make you feel better."

She swam back to him and pressed her hands on his thighs. "And do you think any less of me because of it?" He shook his head. "Neither do I. Immortal or not, we all have moments of weakness, some of us more than others. But you and I, Lucifer? We're lucky- we have someone we can be our truest, ugliest, most vulnerable self around that will still love and care about us no matter how bad it gets."

He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I'm quite inexperienced with that whole love and acceptance bit, I'm afraid. It will still take some getting used to."

"I've got some experience, thanks to my family and friends, but definitely never with a romantic partner." She sighed as she leaned back to float. "Vulnerability has never been my strong suit either, Luc. I guess we'll just have to learn together."

"I suppose we will," Lucifer said as he swam over and kissed her.

Lynne stopped floating and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I happen to know something you DO have a lot of experience with…" She raised a seductive eyebrow as she moved closer to him, feeling his cock twitch as she pressed herself against him. "I've actually never had sex in a hot tub before..." She nipped at his neck. "Perhaps you could show me how it's done," she murmured into his ear as she nibbled on his lobe.

"With pleasure," he said as he brought his lips to hers. He kissed her softly, tracing her lips with his tongue, and she eagerly parted them for him. He dipped his tongue into her mouth and swirled it with hers for a few moments before pulling his head back. "I must warn you, it's not always the most pleasant experience despite the popularity," he said as he brought his hands up to cup her breasts. He squeezed them gently, the small ripples in the water rolling across her nipples and sending a wave of desire to her core. He lifted one of her breasts to the surface and took her nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it as he sucked before lightly grazing his teeth across it, causing her to shudder. He slid his hand down between her legs as the other mimicked his mouth's ministrations on her other breast, and her nails dug into the back of his neck.

"Is that so…" she said as he cupped her mound with his hand, the bubbles from his movement tickling her and sending a delicious shiver down her spine. She reached down and circled her fingers around his shaft, tugging gently as her thumb rubbed across his tip, causing him to inhale sharply.

"I'm afraid it is," he said as his mouth moved to her neck, licking behind her ear as he flapped his hand in the water between her legs, sending a new set of ripples dancing across her. She moaned softly into his ear as her fist tightened around him, and his lips curled into a smile against her neck as he ran a trail of kisses down it. "The water certainly adds a lovely sensation," he murmured as he sucked on her pulse point and thrust into her fist.

She laid a trail of kisses across his shoulder as she stroked him, bringing him closer to her entrance. "It sure does…"

He gently removed her hand from around his cock, placing it back around his neck, and wrapped her legs around his waist as he brushed up against her. "But everyone makes one crucial mistake that ends up ruining it…" He rolled his hips as he ground himself against her, small waves lapping against her entrance as her arousal mixed with the water.

She bit her lip as the sensation sent another set of warm chills through her body. "And what might that be?" she asked as she bucked against him.

He smiled as he began to rise from the water. "Not knowing when to come up for air." Her feeling of weightlessness from floating in the water changed to a different feeling of lightness as he grabbed hold of her ass and effortlessly supported her as he stood up fully.

"I see…" she said as she readjusted her grip around his neck. "Thank goodness I came to an expe-" Her breath caught as he entered her fully in one thrust.

"One small correction, darling. You'll come _on_ an expert," he said as he brought his lips to hers. His fingers dug into her flesh as he slowly slid her off from his cock before pushing her back down onto him. "But you must allow me to take full control for this to work…"

"Gladly," she said as she locked her ankles together at the small of his back, the slight shift in position sending another shiver down her spine. "You know I love it when you use me as you see fit."

"That I do," he smiled against her neck as he lifted her off him and slammed her back onto him, hitting deep within her core. She moaned softly into his ear and gently bit down on his lobe again. He brought his mouth back to hers as he began a steady pace of shallow thrusts, his head brushing against her inner bundle of nerves, and her muffled sounds of pleasure reverberating across his lips.  His hands shifted to her upper thighs, spreading them wider as he deepened his plunges into her. He increased his pace with each thrust, and soon her breasts were bouncing in time with his rhythm, her perked nipples brushing against his and sending a tingling sensation through to their cores.

She threw her head back in ecstasy as he pummeled himself against just the right spot and she began to clamp down around him. He slowed his speed and buried himself deep inside her, grinding against her core as she cried out his name. Her walls squeezed tightly around his cock, preventing him from any further movement, and he moaned as the intense pressure drove him closer to his peak. Her grip around him slowly released and changed to a steady rhythm of delicious contractions as she rode through the after-currents of her orgasm.

When her clenches finally subsided, his hands moved back to her ass, lifting her fully off of him, and she whimpered softly at the feeling of emptiness. His lips curled into a devilish grin as he entered her again, but stopped when only his tip was inside of her, and she clenched down around it. He pulled out again as he readjusted his stance, spreading his legs a little further apart, and tightening his grip around her ass. He gently stretched her cheeks apart as he lifted her again and continued his shallow thrusts, moaning as her walls squeezed his head and her thighs hit the water with each passing, causing it to splash up and lap against his balls. He increased his pace as he hoisted her up and down on him, the rub of her entrance on the sensitive patch of skin underneath the tip of his shaft it and waves against his sack spurring him closer to his edge.

He drove slightly further into her with each thrust, each new angle and sensation sending a fresh wave of desire into her center, which swirled around him as he had his way with her. His breath became ragged as she began to tighten around him once more and her nails scraped against his scalp. He felt his release building, pooling at his base as his thrusts became erratic. His fingers dug into her flesh and he plunged himself fully into her as his knees began to buckle, bringing them both back into the water as his release exploded and shot into her with a heavy grunt.

She clung to him as they began to float, moaning softly into his ear and rolling her hips, grinding down around him as she reached her peak once more. She released her grip around his neck and locked her legs around his as she leaned back into the water and rode her wave of pleasure, her hair floating around her head in a golden-brown halo, tickling her arms as her walls tightened around him. He reached behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist and as his other splayed across her back, and lifted her up towards him, bringing their lips together once more. She deepened their kiss, another soft moan reverberating into his mouth as the aftershocks of her explosion hit her and her body trembled around him.

She rested her forehead against his as they bobbed up and down in the water, their heart rates slowly steadying as they came down from their highs. "Wow…" she murmured as she ran her fingers through his hair. "That was… Mmm…"

"You're welcome." Lucifer chuckled softly before kissing her as he bucked into her a few more times. He slowly walked them towards the edge and pulled her off him slowly, resting her on the ledge before leaning back into the water and floating away from her, his still fairly-erect cock jutting out above the surface. His hand absentmindedly began stroking it as he gazed up at the clouds above them, the sun now fully risen and the shades of pink and orange slowly turning to blue. "Fancy a dip in the pool for another round, darling, or would you prefer somewhere less buoyant?"

Lynne held back a yawn as her thighs instinctively rubbed together at the sight of him pleasuring himself, the sunlight sparkling across the water as it rippled over his chest. "How about that couch in the bathroom? I might need another little nap afterwards before I'm ready to shower off and face the day. It'll save me some steps, and, well, why not take advantage of there being a fucking COUCH in there?!"

Lucifer chuckled as he stood up. "As you desire…" He lifted himself out of the jacuzzi and smiled at her. "Here, let me save you a few more," he said as he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. She giggled as he turned his head and gently bit her cheek and nibbled his way up to her waist and back down to her thigh as he walked inside. Her giggles turned to a soft moan as he slipped two fingers inside her, pumping into her as he made his way to the bathroom.  His thumb brushed against her clit as he walked towards the couch, her breath catching as he pressed down, rubbing tight circles around as he sat down. "Alright, then, let's see how you propose to put this fucking couch to good use," he murmured as he pulled her down into his lap and into a kiss as he reclined, bringing a third finger inside of her.

She placed her knees on either side of him, spreading her legs wider and her breath caught in her throat as his fingers drove deeper into her as his thumb continued its ministrations. He curled his middle one, brushing it repeatedly against the patch of nerves on her wall as he widened the gap between the other two, wiggling them as his thumb pressed down on her nub. She instinctively bit down on his bottom lip, much harder than she had initially planned, as the overwhelming sensation caused her wave of pleasure to wash down over his fingers and drip into his palm.  

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as she pulled her head back, expecting to see blood.

"Worry not, darling, you can bite me as hard as you want and never break the skin. I rather enjoyed it, to be honest…" A devilish grin ran across his lips along with his tongue. "Though I should punish you for wasting that sweet nectar of yours," he said as he slid his fingers out of her and brought his hand to his mouth, a soft moan falling from his lips as he tasted her juices. His free hand lightly spanked her and her body jumped, brushing against his stiffening cock. "Mmm, that felt rather good," he murmured as he slipped his fingers into her mouth for her to taste and spanked her again, her glistening folds sliding across his member once more as his fingers drove deeper into her mouth.

He removed his fingers and gently grabbed her wrists, placing her hands against his chest before tenderly pushing her shoulders until she was sitting up straight. He brought his hands back to her waist and positioned her so that her entrance was hovering over his throbbing member. "Stay just like that, and I'll reward you. Deal?"

Lynne nodded as she locked eyes with him. He took himself in hand again and circled his tip around her pool, dipping in an inch before pulling it back out and rubbing it against her slit, stopping at her clit and tapping his himself against it, causing her body to jerk at the sensation. He brought his head back to her entrance as his free hand spanked her again, a little harder than before. She gasped and bit her lip at the sting and her hips rolled, sliding her nub back onto his tip. He shot her a stern look of warning and she winked at him as she rolled her hips again, bringing him back towards her entrance and dipping him inside her.

He tried to hide the smile that crept across his lips as he brought himself out and back up to her nub before slapping her other cheek, even harder this time. Her eyes closed in pleasure, biting her lip again as his actions caused her to slide across him once more, and she cried out as she impaled herself onto him before he could stop her. His hands dug into her waist as he pulled her off of him, sat up, and bent her over his knees in one swift motion. "Punishment it is, then…" he said in a low and sensual voice as he laid an arm across her shoulders and held her in place. 

She giggled and bucked her hips, lifting her lower half into the air and wiggling it in defiance. He swiftly brought his free hand to spank her once more before resting on the imprint his hand left and rubbing it tenderly. "You seem to have forgotten who you're toying with, darling,” he said as his hand hit her other side. "I'm the devil, after all. I have eons of experience in punishment and torture, and the line between pleasure and pain is a rather fine one." He slapped the same side again much harder, and she cried out in pleasure before she stilled against him. "Good girl," he murmured as he stroked her hair, and she reached down and wrapped her fingers around his calves.

"Hands off the goods, love." Lynne smiled as she tightened her grip around him and wiggled her hips again. Lucifer held back his chuckle as he wound up and spanked her with a punishing strength. She cried out again as her body shifted across his lap from the force and clung to his calves to keep from falling. She spread her legs and his hand fell between them, brushing against the fresh wave of dampness that pooled there. "Oh, enjoying our punishment are we?" He asked as he bunched a fistful of hair and gently tugged it as he lightly slapped his hand against her slit. She moaned and wantonly bucked into his hand, desperate for more friction.  "I have no desire to physically harm you, love," he said as he removed his hand and tugged on her hair before spanking her again. "But if you keep this up, I may have to find a new way to punish you…" She lifted herself up once more and he slapped her cheeks again, alternating between them a few times and smiling as they turned from a blush to a bright pink.

He dipped two fingers inside her and began hurriedly pumping them deeper and deeper into her, his cock pressing into her stomach as she moaned. He felt her walls begin to tighten around him and he pulled his fingers out, much to her dismay. He spanked her once more before pulling her up from his lap and reclining again, bringing her up to straddle his head. He spread her legs as wide as they could go without her falling and brought his tongue to her entrance to taste her. She moaned again as he lapped at her entrance and gently sucked her juices. His thumb came up to brush against her clit, rubbing tight circles around it, and when her thigh muscles began to tremble, he immediately pulled his hand and mouth away from her, causing her to whimper.

"I warned you I'd have to get more creative with my punishment," he scolded as he blew on her folds before biting down gently on her inner thigh.  His tongue returned and licked across her slit before laving against her nub. She moaned as he closed his lips around it and began gently sucking, and instinctively leaned into him. His teeth lightly grazed against her clit before he pulled his head away and spanked her once more. "I'm growing rather impatient having to punish you, love. If you manage to stay still for this next part I shall finally reward you."

She nodded and he slipped a finger inside her, curling it to brush against her wall as his tongue returned to her nub and continued its ministrations. He pumped his finger a few times before pulling out and rubbing the patch of skin between her two entrances as he sucked on her clit again. She moaned at the new sensation, but stayed as still as she could as her wave of arousal began to crest. His thumb entered her, gently pressing against the back of her walls as his index finger brushed against her rear entrance, and she found herself surprised to enjoy the feeling, almost wanting more. Sensing she was close, he switched from sucking on her nub back to licking it in a steady rhythm. As her walls began to close in around his thumb, he quickly swapped its position with his tongue and applied more pressure on her rear entrance, the tip of his finger gently dipping inside and rubbing against his thumb through her wall as she peaked. She grasped on to the couch as she ground herself against his mouth, and his hands moved to her thighs, holding her in place as he hungrily drank the nectar that flowed into it as she cried out his name.

In an instant, he had slid out from underneath her and bent her over the arm of the couch as he rubbed his engorged head between her entrances, covering himself in her slickness. _I hope he’s not about to do what I think he’s gonna do,_ she thought to herself as her insides began to ache, desperate to be fully filled by him. “Please don’t try to-“ Her words were cut off by a deep moan as he slid inside her just as another wave of pleasure washed over her.

“Never, darling,” he said as he adjusted his grip around her waist. “I’ll take my time working you up to it before I pop that cherry,” he assured her as he thrust inside her again. “I was just testing the waterrrrrrrrs,” his words turned into a low growl as he hit her center and she tightened around him again. “Though I’m quite pleased you seemed to enjoy it,” he said as he pulled out and slammed into her again. “My mind is reeling with all the possibilities this opens up for me to bring you to new heights…” He increased his pace as his mind whirled with ideas and was soon close to his peak. He leaned over and grabbed onto her breasts, rolling near nipples between his fingers as he drove into her, his breath hot on her neck as he grunted into her ear. His cock began to pulse and her cries of pleasure soon merged with his as she joined in his release.

She collapsed underneath him from the strength of her orgasm, and he kissed her cheek as he pulled out from her and walked over to grab a towel. “Enjoy your little nap, my love,” he said as he laid the towel over her. She nodded and blew him a kiss as her eyes closed and she nuzzled into the couch to fall asleep, smiling as he whistled softly and turned the shower on.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to brush your teeth after all the fluff in this chapter ;)

Lynne smiled as her eyes fluttered open, a hauntingly beautiful melody playing in the background as Lucifer waited for her. She quickly showered, wrapped herself in a fluffy robe and joined him on the piano bench as he played a different song. He stopped and wrapped his arms around her waist as he kissed her. “Glad to see you’re amongst the living again, darling.”

Lynne smiled as she nuzzled into his neck and kissed it. "What's that song were you playing a little while ago? I swear I've heard it before but can't quite put my finger on it."

"This one?" Lucifer asked as he turned back to the keys and played a handful of chords.

"Yes! I believe you’ve hummed it around me a few times and I love it so much! Play some more, please." He obliged and she closed her eyes, resting her head against his back as she sighed happily. "Mmm… It just pierces right into my soul and fills me with this warm and fuzzy feeling, like I’m being hugged from the inside. What is it?"

Lucifer smiled. "It's one of my favorites as well, a hymn from my childhood. My mother used to sing it to me when I was upset. My own personal lullaby, I suppose..."

"That's so sweet! I can only imagine how adorable little baby angel Lucifer was…” Lynne kissed his cheek and leaned back against him as he continued playing. “Does it have words?"

Lucifer nodded. "Another time, perhaps, don't want you falling asleep on me, again..." He played out the rest of the chord and turned towards her as he flashed her a bright smile. "We've got an entire day ahead of us here, love. What would you like to do?" Lynne raised an enticing eyebrow. "That we can't do at home?"

She chuckled as she turned and gazed out towards the strip. "There's so much to choose from, they have everything here! What's your favorite place?"

"I'm taking you there this evening. Besides, I think it's your turn to set our agenda. I rather enjoyed your ideas last night…" He smiled as he pulled her into his lap.

Lynne blushed as she recalled their adventures and felt his arousal twitch against her. "That was pretty fun…" She leaned into his embrace as she pondered the possibilities. "Hmm… That indoor sky was pretty magical, is there anything else like that you could show me? Maybe that sky-high roller coaster? Ooh! I heard there's Siberian tigers around somewhere, can we please go see them?"

Lucifer laughed as he squeezed her and began to sing. "Lynne, Lynne, in the city of sin, with the devil himself, and she wants to… see tigers." He kissed her cheek. "As you desire, love. I shall roll out the magic carpet for you."

* * *

Lynne burst into laughter as Lucifer tried to fit through the elevator door with about a dozen shopping bags. "Here, let me help you, you absurdly stubborn gentleman." She reached for a few bags and laughed again as he scoffed and turned sideways to step through the door.

"I can't fathom why you wouldn't just let the bellhop take them, we could have had a _much_ more pleasurable ride up," he muttered as he stepped towards the table.

"Because they have better things to do, and I could have helped you carry them!" He rolled his eyes as he set the bags down on the table. "Listen, Lucifer 'shopaholic' Morningstar, I agreed to go in there and poke around because of my slight bath obsession. I had _no_ intentions of leaving with anything, let alone half the store!"

"But your eyes lit up each time you smelled a different one of those bomb things, and the bubble bath ice cream scoops were 'oh my goodness, so adorable',” he said mockingly as he rolled his eyes again. “I figured I'd just save us some time to make up for our little dalliance in the dressing room. I thought you loved my efficiency?" he asked as he pulled her towards him.

Lynne leaned up and kissed him. "I do, and I greatly appreciate the lifetime supply of bath products, but we _talked_ about you spoiling me." She pinched his side gently when he raised his eyebrows at her. "The only reason I even needed to get a new dress in the first place was because you purposefully ruined the one you gave me last night just so you'd have an excuse to drag me into a dressing room today." Lucifer shrugged innocently and she peered at him. "You can't fool me, Lucifer, I'm hip to your devilish games..." She chuckled as she kissed him again. "I must admit, the look on the attendant's face when you threw a stack of bills at her as you waltzed right in there with me _was_ pretty hilarious."

Lucifer laughed as he pulled her closer for a hug. "I have my moments, I suppose…"

"Oh, you're full of moments, that's for sure." She smiled as she kissed his chest. "Thank you again, for everything. Do you think I have time to put one of those _adorable_ scoops to use before we go meet this ex-wife of yours, or should I just skip right to the shower?"

"Knowing your tendency to nap in tubs, I think it's safer if I join you for a shower. To keep you in line, of course, no funny business…" He flashed her a devilish grin as he took her hand and led her to the bathroom.

* * *

 Lucifer caught Candy's eye as they walked into Fletcher's, and she immediately ran over and embraced both of them in a hug. "You must be the famous Lynne I've heard almost nothing about!" She shot a rather cantankerous look at Lucifer before smiling brightly at Lynne. "Come, let's sit and have a drink, I'd love to learn more about you!"

"Same here!" Lynne smiled as Candy threw an arm around her shoulders and began to guide her towards a table. "If it helps, he's supposedly head-over-heels in love with me, yet I didn't learn there was a former Mrs. Morningstar until he casually mentioned it in passing as we crossed into Nevada."

They laughed as Lucifer caught up with them and wrapped his arms around both of their shoulders. "Am I invited to this little venting sesh of yours, or shall I just find a seat at the bar?"

Candy giggled as she turned to hug him. "Of course you're welcome. Seeing your face as we swap embarrassing stories about you will make it that much more fun!"

Lynne burst into laughter as she wrapped her arm around Candy's waist as they continued walking. "I love you already, Candy!"

They spent the next hour or so sharing drinks, appetizers, and enough secrets to make Lucifer squirm uncomfortably before finally joining in their laughter and sharing some of his own as payback. Candy sighed as the lights dimmed down and spotlights began to dance across the stage. "I'd love to stay here all night and catch up, but it's ten minutes to curtain call and I've gotta freshen up before I kick things off." She stood, kissed Lucifer on the cheek, and hugged Lynne. "I can see why he's so taken with you, Lynne, and I look forward to your call. I hope you enjoy the show! Be sure to stick around for the finale, it's gonna be great."

Lynne smiled as she stood up to hug her back properly. "Likewise, Candy! Can't wait until we get a chance to hang again, you're an absolute doll! Break a leg, or whatever the saying is for you and your fellow gorgeous showgirls." Candy winked as she walked away towards the dressing room. Lynne sat back down beside Lucifer and kissed him. "She's incredible, Lucifer, thank you so much for letting me meet her! I'm sorry if we embarrassed you, it was all in good fun."

"I had a feeling you two would hit it off and gang up on me. I rather enjoyed all the attention, though I’m disappointed you both shot down my offer for a threesome so quickly.” He sighed mournfully. “But it pleased me to see you two getting on so well, you make quite the dynamic duo! I can see it now, written in lights- The Marvelous Mrs. Morningstars, the latest sensation to hit the strip..." He saw her eyebrows raise and a look of shock flash across her eyes. "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but you must admit the alliteration adds to the pizzazz, doesn't it?"

"Can't fault you there, Lucifer." She kissed him quickly. "If you'll excuse me, my dear wordsmith, I'm going to visit the ladies' room before the show begins. I don't want to miss a _second_ of my first real Vegas show!"

Lynne returned just as the lights went out. Candy stepped out on stage as the crowd applauded, her skin-tight gold-sequined dress hugging her curves as a spotlight shone down and glittered across it. Lynne smiled as Candy curled her lips. "Thank you, thank you very much." She giggled into the microphone. "You're all in for quite a treat this evening! We've got some extra special friends in the house tonight celebrating a birthday." The spotlight searched the crowd and Lynne dug her nails into Lucifer's arm as she tried to inconspicuously duck down. Candy chuckled as she looked in the other direction, locking eyes with a woman up front. "Don't worry, babe, I've been sworn to secrecy about revealing your identity. But that won't stop me from dedicating tonight's show to you! So without further ado, I present Fletcher's humble tribute to The King himself!"

The stage lit up and the band began playing 'Viva Las Vegas' as a dozen showgirls made their way onto it, surrounding Candy as she disappeared behind them. Lynne squeezed Lucifer's arm more gently this time and turned to him. "Just when I thought my gifts were over… How'd you know I love Elvis?!"

Lucifer smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he leaned in to her ear. "You may have let it slip that time I was telling stories about him…"

She kissed him. "You sly devil, you. Thank you so much!" She sat back and enjoyed the show as she finished her next drink, eventually dragging Lucifer into the crowd to dance with her when they played Bossanova Baby. He gave in to her ministrations, and their little bubble filled with glee as they danced and sang along to a few more of Lynne's favorite songs. The stage lights dimmed as Candy moved over to the piano and sat on the lid, the beginning notes of "If I Can Dream" playing softly as the spotlight shone on her.

Lynne gasped. "Oh wow, Lucifer, I have a feeling this is going to be EPIC." She led him back to their booth for a better view, and snuggled into him as Candy began to sing. He kissed her head before resting his chin on it as Lynne stared in awe at Candy. Lynne turned to him and mouthed "she's amazing!", to which he nodded knowingly. He motioned that he was going to grab them another round, and Lynne gave him a haphazard thumbs-up as her mind continued to be blown by Candy's incredible vocal talents.

She stood up and cheered and clapped along with the crowd as Candy took a bow and the applause slowly died down. "Thank you, you're all too kind." The crowd cheered again, and she took another bow before stepping back up to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's my greatest pleasure to introduce our special guest." The band began to play 'Devil in Disguise' softly in the background and Lynne smiled as she rolled her eyes. _Of course he's gonna perform…_ "One of my dearest friends, here on a visit from the City of Angels itself, Lucifer Morningstar!"

Lucifer walked onto the stage as the crowd applauded. He hugged Candy as she passed him the microphone and walked off stage. "Thank you, thank you very much." He winked at Lynne as he walked over towards the piano and sat down. "You may recognize my first song, but please don't be disappointed when you do…" He played a few chords that Lynne immediately recognized, as she'd heard them thousands of times at Fenway Park. "I watched Elvis cover it across the strip back in 1970," he said as he played a few more notes. "A little birdie told me the birthday girl is from Boston, and I thought it quite fitting. So here's to you and your bloody Red Sox, darling."

He began to play "Sweet Caroline". Lynne's Bostonian instincts immediately kicked in and she found herself singing along unabashedly, garnering a few raised eyebrows from the tables beside her. Her smile lit up her face as she continued singing, throwing in her extra rounds of "So good!" with pride to her hometown anthem.

> Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good
> 
> I'd be inclined to believe they never would
> 
> But now I look at the night, and it don't seem so lonely
> 
> We fill it up with only two
> 
> And when I hurt, hurting runs off my shoulder
> 
> How can I hurt when holding you?

The words of the song suddenly took on a new meaning, and her heart began to swell with a different kind of pride as she sang along to the rest of the song. Lucifer winked at her again as he switched over to "Stuck on You", and she couldn’t help but dance along in her seat as Lucifer crooned about being stuck like glue. The next song he played was "Surrender", and she couldn't tear the smile from her face as his sultry voice washed over her. 

> When we kiss my heart's on fire
> 
> Burning with a strange desire
> 
> And I know, each time I kiss you
> 
> That your heart's on fire too

He locked eyes with her, and she nodded and raised her hands in surrender, swaying along as to the music as the background singers joined him for the chorus.

> So, my darling, please surrender (Surrender)
> 
> All your love so warm and tender (Surrender)
> 
> Let me hold you in my arms, dear
> 
> While the moon shines bright above

The spotlight fell back on him, and his gaze met hers again as he began the next verse, his voice sending shivers down her spine as he sang.

> All the stars will tell the story
> 
> Of our love and all its glory
> 
> Let us take this night of magic
> 
> And make it a night of love

The lyrics immediately brought her back to that magical night on the balcony where she finally allowed herself to fall for him, into him, with him, allowed herself to completely surrender, at least for the night. Her heart almost burst with love as he knowingly smiled at her, and she felt herself surrender all over again.

He switched over to 'Wonder of You' and Lynne raised her eyes up to Heaven. _What were you thinking putting such a sappy romantic in charge of Hell? Did you expect him to just croon at people for eternity?_ She chuckled to herself and her gaze met Lucifer's again as he began to sing.

> When no one else can understand me
> 
> When everything I do is wrong
> 
> You give me hope and consolation
> 
> You give me strength to carry on
> 
> And you're always there
> 
> To lend a hand in everything I do
> 
> That's the wonder, the wonder of you

He sang with such heartfelt gratitude, tears began to brim in Lynne's eyes.

> And when you smile, the world is brighter
> 
> You touch my hand and I'm a king
> 
> Your kiss to me is worth a fortune
> 
> Your love for me is everything
> 
> I guess I'll never know
> 
> The reason why you love me like you do
> 
> That's the wonder, the wonder of you

He caught her wiping tears from her eyes and he gently shook his head, mouthing  'no crying' as the played the final notes. "I suppose that's enough sap for now, based on some audience reactions…" He chuckled as he adjusted the mic before playing the opening notes of the next song, "Way on Down". A devilish grin ran across his face as the crowd cheered. "I may have given the King some inspiration for this next tune…" Lynne's tears turned to laughter as she pictured Lucifer and Elvis wearing matching white bell bottom suits in a recording studio full of drugs and women.

> Babe you're getting closer, the lights are going dim
> 
> The sound of your breathing has made the mood I'm in
> 
> All of my resistance is lying on the floor
> 
> Taking me to places I’ve never been before

The crowd roared  as Candy strode back on stage in a shimmering white evening gown, complete with bejeweled sleeves that attached to dress like wings, flapping and sparkling in the air as she joined him for the chorus.

> Ooh and I can feel it
> 
> Feel it, feel it, feel it
> 
> Way down where the music plays
> 
> Way down like a tidal wave
> 
> Way down where the fires blaze
> 
> Way down, down, way on down

Lynne sat back and enjoyed their duet, smiling at the friendship that shone through as Candy and Lucifer performed. Candy kicked off the next song, "Burning Love", and Lynne couldn't help but laugh as Lucifer channeled his inner Jerry Lee Lewis and kicked back the piano bench as he played. Another pianist soon took over, and Lucifer grabbed the microphone as he joined Candy in the center of the stage and finished the next verse.

> Girl, girl, girl, you're gonna set me on fire
> 
> My brain is flaming, I don't know which way to go
> 
> Your kisses lift me higher, like the sweet song of a choir
> 
> You light my morning sky with burning love

He smiled and winked at Lynne as showgirls came flooding back and swirled around him and Candy with fanfare for one Hell of a finale.

* * *

Lynne sighed contentedly as she leaned against Lucifer's chest, coming down from her high. They reclined into the sofa as they enjoyed a different type of stargazing by the fire pit on their balcony, the lights of the city below and beyond twinkling and flashing. She entwined her fingers with his as she sighed again. "Thank you again, Lucifer, from the bottom of my heart. This has been hands-down the greatest birthday of my life, and it's all because of you."

Lucifer smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. "You're welcome, darling." He kissed the top of her head as he hugged her. "I hope each and every birthday is better than the last."

Lynne squeezed his arms. "I have a feeling they will be, as long as you're around."

"That's what I hoped you would say, love." He kisses her forehead again as he squeezed her shoulders. "I intend to spend as many with you as possible."

Lynne sighed as she turned onto her side and snuggled into him. "I hate to burst our bubble, but you bring up a point we've never really talked about…"

"We will. Someday. But let's enjoy the here and now a bit more before tomorrow morning approaches and we have to head back to that pesky reality of yours." Lucifer leaned down and brought his lips to her. "I assure you there is nothing to worry about, love. If it's meant to be, it shall be. You know how dear old Dad doesn't like to let anything stop his grand plans…"

Lynne smiled and nuzzled into his chest as he pulled her closer. _Wow, he's putting his faith in you now? Talk about the world getting turned upside down…_ She closed her eyes as Lucifer began stroking her hair, absentmindedly humming his mother's lullaby. He began to sing in a hauntingly beautiful language she had never heard before, and it took her breath away. She pressed her head against him, the words reverberating through his chest and piercing into her soul, filling her with a sense of peace and contentment stronger than she'd ever felt before. She began to hum along as she slowly drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Lucifer woke up before Lynne the morning, and spent a few minutes studying her peaceful face as it rested against his chest. He watched as her eyebrows raised and a smile crept across her lips momentarily, and couldn't help but chuckle as he wondered what she was dreaming about. She gently stirred and laid a few lazy kisses on his chest before rolling over onto her other side, snuggling back into the curve of his body and falling back into a deep sleep. He rolled onto his side and wrapped his arm and legs around her, his cock subtly twitching as he pressed against her warmth. He was tempted to grind against her and give her another exotic wakeup call they both enjoyed so much, but decided against it and closed his eyes, her soft breaths lulling him back to sleep. 

He awoke a couple hours later and found Lynne curled up against his chest again. He kissed her forehead as he slid out from under her, and she was so fast asleep she didn’t notice his absence. He waited a few more minutes to see if she’d wake up before slowly creeping out of the bed. He quietly scurried around the room and packed up their belongings as silently as possible so as not to wake her and laid out an outfit for her on the bathroom sofa, smiling as he recalled their pleasure-filled punishment on it the day before. He glanced back at Lynne as his cock began to stiffen, and shook his head as he stepped into shower and relieved the throbbing in his groin as he washed himself. He dried off and got dressed before he brought their bags to the door and put on a pot of coffee. He resisted the urge to play piano as it percolated, not wanting to wake her with something so un-arousing after his previous sacrifices in the name of her slumber, and stepped over to the window to bask in the sunlight as he overlooked the bustling city below them, contemplating all the different memories he had made there, but they paled in comparison to the ones he made this weekend.

He checked the clock as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked over at Lynne, still blissfully asleep, and decided not to wake her until he absolutely had to. He brought his coffee out on the patio, shutting the door behind him quietly, and sipped it slowly as he sat on the sofa and looked out upon the city again.

Half an hour later, he came back in and not-so-gently closed the sliding door, but Lynne was still fast asleep. He took another look at the clock and sighed as he walked over to the bed and gently shook her shoulders. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him. "Good morning…"she said sleepily as she reached for his arm and pulled him towards her. "Come back to bed…"she murmured.

Lucifer sat down and reached over to caress her cheek. "Sorry love, but I can't."

She smiled at him again as she ran her fingers up his spine. "I promise I'll make it worth your while…"

He gave her a soft kiss and stood up again. "I'd love to, darling, but I promised Elaine and Emily I'd have you home for dinner, and I don't want to go breaking any more deals..." She began to protest, and he chuckled. "It's already 1:30, darling, but depending on how fast you let me drive I may be able to find time to ravish you on our way home."

Lynne shot straight up. "Oh shit! How did I just sleep eleven hours straight?! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

Lucifer shook his head as he reached for her shoulder. "You looked so peaceful, and I wanted to give you one last morning to sleep in. Dad knows you don't get nearly enough of those."

"Aww…" She leaned forward and kissed him again. "You’re the best man in the universe, Lucifer ‘of course I know the deepest desire in every mom's heart' Morningstar. Thank you." She kissed him once more. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go get dressed and pack up as quickly as I can. Ten minutes, max."

Lucifer chuckled and pointed towards the bags by the door. "One step ahead of you, love. All you'll need to pack is your toothbrush."

“You truly are DIVINE,” she said as she hugged him again before heading to the bathroom.

* * *

They arrived back at Lynne's apartment at 5pm on the dot. Emily ran towards them as they walked through the door, and nearly knocked Lynne over as she scooped her up for a hug. "Oh, I missed you so much, boo bear! Did you and Nana have fun?"

Emily squeezed her tight. "Of course we did! We never made it to China, but we did manage to-  LUCI!!!!!" She jumped out of Lynne's arms and into Lucifer's, knocking the bags out of his hands.

"Easy there, little darling, we don't want to detonate your mum's precious bath bombs, do we?" Emily shook her head and hugged him again. He smiled and spun her around a couple times before making her fly around the living room.

Elaine stepped up to hug Lynne. "Happy birthday sweetie! Welcome home."

Lynne squeezed her tight and kissed her cheek. "Thank you so much, Mom! Seriously. Hands-down the best birthday of my life, no offense. I'm sorry I gave you shit about scheming, I had no idea the extent of it, and you guys are the sweetest, most thoughtful people in the universe! I'm so lucky to have you!"

Elaine smiled. "Oh, it was no big deal, just a phone call here and a text message there…"

Lynne rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he tried giving me that garbage too. Not buying it. So please, just accept my gratitude already!" She hugged her again.

"Fine, fine, you win. You're welcome, sweetie." She sighed as they both turned to watch Emily and Lucifer, who were curled up on the couch giggling at pictures on his phone from their magic carpet tour of Vegas. "It was mostly him, you know," Elaine said as she wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and Lynne nodded. "He's a special guy, Lynne, divine or not. And just look at the two of them hamming it up over there, it's enough to make a stone man cry."

"I know…" Lynne said as she wiped away a tear from her eye as her heart filled to the brim. Emily whispered something into Lucifer's ear, and he looked up and smiled at Lynne before turning back to whisper his response. The two of them laughed and whispered for a few minutes before subtly high-fiving and going back to his phone to view the rest of the photos.

Lucifer got up a few minutes later and walked back towards Elaine and Lynne. "She especially liked the video where you're ugly crying and trying to explain that the tiger who sat down in front of you was begging you to free him so you could ride off together and be best friends with a life full of adventures just like Princess Jasmine and Raja. Don't worry, I turned it off before your string of expletives when I wouldn't smash the glass or 'at least fly in there'."

Lynne punched his arm. "I thought I deleted that! And the screenshot!”

Lucifer winked as he rubbed his arm dramatically. "I had a feeling you’d do that and pre-emptively saved a copy to the cloud. It's quite a fetching photo of you, love, I'm having an artist recreate it to hang above my mantle."

"I hate and love you in equal amounts right now, Lucifer," she said as she pulled him in for a hug. "You staying for dinner?"

"Lucifer has to go home, Mommy, he's not sure if his friend with a pretty name has burned his club down yet." Emily yelled from the living room and gave Lucifer a dramatic wink.

"What was that all about?" Elaine asked.

Lucifer shrugged innocently. "Children are rather strange little creatures, aren't they?" He smiled as he pulled her in for a hug. "Thank you again for all of your help, Elaine, couldn't have pulled this off without you! Enjoy the rest of your time here, and I meant what I said- if the girls can manage an evening without you, do stop by Lux. I'd love an excuse to dedicate a set of Queen songs to you."

Elaine giggled as she hugged him back. "If not this time, definitely the next! Thanks for making my baby's birthday the best one yet. You're a real angel, Lucifer Morningstar."

He blushed as she kissed his cheek. "It was my pleasure."

Lynne moved in to kiss his other cheek. "Thanks again, Luc. I'll see you soon." She leaned in and whispered into his ear. "Love you."

He gave her a hug before heading out the door, almost bumping into the pizza delivery man. Lynne smiled at him as he got in his car and she signed for the delivery.

"Okay, Gardner girls. One belated birthday movie night coming right up!"

* * *

Lynne, Elaine, and Emily made the most of their time together before Elaine headed home on Tuesday morning, then it was back to the reality of school, work, and an actual bedtime. The rest of the week passed fairly quickly as Lynne threw herself into catching up at work to make the time fly until she could see Lucifer again on Saturday.

Friday night rolled around, and she and Emily changed into their footie pajamas and sat down on the couch to pick a movie. "We could have waited til next week, you know, spread out the fun a little since we just had Gardner girl movie night on Sunday!"

Emily giggled as she snuggled into her. "I know, but it's the first Friday of the month and we're nothing without our traditions, Mom," she said seriously.

Lynne sighed as they scrolled through the menu and finally found what they were looking for. The doorbell rang just as she pressed play, and she sighed again as she hit pause. "That must be the pizza. " She went to answer the door and her jaw dropped. Lucifer was on her doorstep, holding a bottle of wine and their box of pizza as the delivery man drove away. She frantically glanced back at Emily, who was pouring a glass of fruit punch, sighed in relief, and closed the door behind her as she stepped onto the stoop. "I thought we were hanging out tomorrow night?"

He smiled. "We are…"

"Sooooo what are you doing here?" He smiled again as he pushed past her and entered the house. "Lucifer, stop, I didn't… We haven't…"

Emily ran to the door and hugged him. "Luci! You made it!" She rolled her eyes at Lynne, who was still standing there in shock. "Chill, mom. I invited him."

Lynne raised an eyebrow at Lucifer, who shrugged innocently. "I may have casually asked her when the next movie night was, and one thing led to another…"

Lynne rolled her eyes. "Is this what you two were whispering about the other night? I have to worry about you scheming with _her_ now, too?"

He smiled again as he set the bottle and box down on the counter and took off his coat to reveal a black velvet onesie with his initials embroidered on the chest. Lynne's mouth couldn't even form words as he kicked off his shoes and whipped out a pair of slippers with flames running up the sides from behind his back and put them on as she just stood there, stuttering, shocked at the sight of devil in footie pajamas. He popped his hood up as he knelt down to Emily's level. "Nailed it!" he said, and they laughed as they high-fived.

"You were TOTALLY right, Luci, look at how surprised she is!" They giggled again as he scooped her up in one arm and grabbed the wine with the other.

"Would you mind grabbing the pizza, love? My hands are a little full at the moment." He and Emily cackled together as he walked them to the couch and settled in. Lynne shook her head as she grabbed the box and walked into the living room. She set it down on the coffee table and sat on the couch next to Emily, who scooted over her and crawled into Lucifer's lap. He wrapped an arm around her in a hug and extended the other one towards Lynne as he smiled brightly at her. "There's room on my other leg if you'd like to join us, love."

"But only if you bring us pizza, we're too comfy to move now." Emily giggled again as she burrowed into Lucifer, who shrugged as he nodded in agreement.

Lynne rolled her eyes as she put the slices on their plates. She glanced over at them before sitting back down and her heart filled to the brim. _I guess this is my life now…_ She sighed happily as she snuggled up with them and pressed play.


End file.
